The Atypical Housewife

Goodbye Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 17:43:00 +0000

I think my time has come to say farewell to blogger. I have loved it so much, and appreciated all it has to offer, but it just seems as though the time has come to move on.

I can now be found at www.theatypicalhousewife.com

I hope to see you all over there!

Christmas 2012 Blogging Break and Year In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:30:00 +0000

First off, I'd like to say Merry Christmas!! This is, simply put, the most amazing, magical time of the year. A time of gratitude for a baby born in a manger and the greatest gift we've ever been given. We would be completely lost without the hope given to us by Jesus! I love celebrating His birth and being with family this time of year.

As is typical for this wonderful time of year I'm officially starting my blogging break. It's a time to spend with family, and celebrate! I am not sure how long this break will last, but expect some changes upon my return. 2012 was a year of unexpected adventures and bloggy confusion! Let's take a look back, shall we?!

January

365 Reasons I Love My Husband-I started the 365 reasons I love my husband challenge! I did not finish this because I got behind and then gave up. However, stay tuned to see it's redo for 2013!

Come On A Walk With Us-We had some very warm temperatures last January so I let you all come on a walk with us!

February

Simplified Meal Planning-I discovered a simple and effective way to menu plan with contact paper and note cards!

March

Gardening Ideas-A list of ideas found on pinterest for gardening. Great resource!

April

2012 Ultimate Blog Party-I partied hard with other bloggers and met new friends!

May

Homemade Fresh Spaghetti Sauce-I shared how to make fresh, homemade (delicious!) tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes.

13 Truths About Chickens-I shared 13 truths and things I'd learned about chickens.

June

DIY Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts-I shared how to make your own boneless skinless chicken breasts. Super simple by the way!

July

I have no posts from July! During this time I tried out wordpress and didn't like it. I unfortunately lost some blog posts because of this.

August

Kissing Frogs-I wrote a post about kisses. Saving kisses, or not, I share my experience and how I was grateful for it.

Nasty Nagging-I wrote a post about how nagging, and how detrimental it can be.

September

Hoop House-I shared our hoop house with you. It wasn't what I had expected when I got chickens, but it has worked out wonderfully.

October

Homemade Pie Crust Tutorial-I shared a super awesome pie crust tutorial. My first ever successful pie crust!

November

Marriage Truths-I shared truths about marriage...like it isn't always perfect, and sometimes things hurt.

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning: In this post I shared how I menu plan, make a grocery list and how I keep from forgetting anything when planning for the big day! (This could totally be used for a big Christmas party as well!)

December

Our Priorities as Christian Women-This is a post I just recently wrote and kind of love. It's been one of my most favorite blog post I've written in a while!

Christmas Cookies-A pinterest resource for quite a few cookie recipes...just in time for you to do some last minute cooking!

It's awesome to see all these posts lined up together! Although I felt as though this year wasn't my best when it came to blogging, looking back maybe it wasn't so bad after all!

Here's hoping 2013 is a year full of unexpected surprises, and adventure. A time of learning, growing, and changing. I am hesitant, a little scared, but completely excited!

Although I won't be blogging I can still be found at facebook, here, and pinterest, here.

I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas, and a wonderful new year!

Our Priorities as Christian Women

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but my best thinking happens when I cook alone in the kitchen. Quiet and alone with my thoughts, things tend to come together better and more easily. Tonight, while in the kitchen together whipping up baked ziti for dinner, I started thinking. There's a whole string of thoughts that have been on my mind for quite some time and I just wasn't sure how to make them fit into a blog post. While stirring my sauce it hit me, some women just have their priorities wrong.

{Source}

Our modern day society tells us so many trivial things are important. Big houses, multiple cars, name brand food and clothing to name a few. Not even going into the desire for technology to be omnipresent. Society is wrong, leading us like a cow to slaughter. It's caused us to tame our husbands, neglect our children, and mock the ideas of homemaking. Where has it gotten us? We are training up a generation that is unintelligent, materialistic, and lazy. We are forsaking the passing down of traditions, and our young women can't bake pies, much less care for a home.

I believe a huge reason this has happened, is because we have forgotten what our priorities are. We've forgotten and lost sight of what is important. Here is an example on how I feel many women view their priorities...

Children.

Husband.

Career.

Church.

Home.

This creates a very unbalanced life, a life in which nothing is where it should be. Children are being shuffled around and put into so many activities they are constantly busy. Husbands are neglected, disrespected, and snapped at. Career is so important it overwhelms and overtakes time and energy that is limited. Church becomes more of an idol and popularity contest than it is about serving the Lord and reaching out to those in need. Lastly, our homes are thrust to the bottom of the pile. An empty, stressed environment that is no longer sacred and inviting. I believe having such priorities sets women up to be unfulfilled, sour, and unhappy. So here is how I think our priorities should look...

God. Jesus said that our greatest commandment above all others was to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. (Matthew 22:35-38) Our relationship with God is the foundation of our life. He is our rock on which we build our lives. We want to be like the wise man and build our lives on the rock, not in the sand where it will be washed away. (Matthew 7:24-27)

Husband. It is so important to always remember your husband as your best friend. Constantly cultivating your marriage, helping him, respecting him is so important. I also believe if you have children this makes a lasting impression on them.

Children. Today's society almost always tries to put children as a priority over our husbands, but that is not how God meant it to be. A strong marriage is one of the best things and examples you could ever give your child.

Home. Today most people scoff even at the idea of homemaking, much less having it as a top priority in their lives. The fact of the matter is making a house a home is more than just paint and furniture. It's about children knowing where there mom is. Knowing when they get home, she'll be there to listen to what happened at school. Husbands will know when they come home from work food will be ready. It's creating a haven, a safe, comfy place for everyone to rest in. It's about making memories, and keeping the peace.

Church. Church is low on this list of priorities which probably makes some women wonder if it's right. I believe that it's in the right place though. Church is a gathering together of believers to grow in Christ. I think all to often church becomes an idol, and women can become too involved.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have priorities. The way we live our lives, treat our families, and care for our homes all speak volumes into what we find important. It's never to late to take a stand, and pull our lives back from the rat race they've become. I chose to live simply, love fully, and have no regrets, how about you?

Christmas Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Have you done any baking yet?! I haven't, but hope to do some this coming weekend. Baking is one of my favorite holiday traditions! I've seen a lot of great recipes on pinterest lately and thought I'd compile a recipe resource for your holiday baking! Hopefully ya'll have eaten recently, if not this is bound to make you crave something yummy and sweet!

1. Slice and Bake cookies. Uh, how ingenious is this?! This would be great for gifts to give, or if you wanted to have an easy bake day with younger children. It'd also be great to make and freeze to have on hand for satisfying that sweet tooth!

2. Sugared Wreath Cookies. I love the looks of these! They are so sweet, and so nostalgic to me. I could totally envision them on the table for a Christmas party next to a tinseled tree back in the 1950's!

3. Wreath Cookies. Ok kids, does anyone else have memories of these from church gatherings or Christmas parties at school?! I do! These aren't the picture of homemade healthy, but they are delicious.

4. Turtle Cookies. These cookies makes me wish it was already this weekend so I could make these. These are chocolate cookies...dipped in pecans...filled with caramel...and drizzled with chocolate! Yum. Yummy. YUM!

5. Mock Lofthouse Cookies. My husband loves lofthouse cookies, so when I found these I knew I'd have to give them a try! My mom and I are having my nieces and nephews over this Sunday for a cookie decorating party...these are on the menu!

6. Snowdrops. These are also known as Russian Tea Cakes. They look absolutely adorable! The ingredient list is simple, and they sound delicious! They'd be totally adorable with the rest of your holiday treats!

7. Decorated Christmas Cookies. This is a tutorial on The Pioneer Woman's site. AMAZING tutorial on decorating your cookies. If I am at all lucky I can make some cookies that look half as good as hers!

8. Sugar cookies that don't lose their shape. This is supposed to be a recipe that doesn't loose it's shape when baked! I'm so eager to try these, hoping they are delicious and live up to their name. I hate cutting out cute shapes and then pulling blobs out of the oven.

9. No Bake Cookies. These are a must for us at Christmas time! Every year my mom would make these, and oddly enough my husbands grandmother made these too. They are chocolate-y, peanut butter-y and oh so delicious!

10. Big Soft Ginger Cookies. You just cannot skip on ginger cookies for the holidays! Spicy, sweet, and often shaped into little people. The perfect thing to add to your holiday cookie platter!

I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to share your favorite cookie recipes or links to the recipes below! I love seeing what others are baking up!

Top 5 Tips For A New Housewife

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I've been a housewife and homemaker for about 3 years now. Most people who read my blog know my plan wasn't to become a housewife, so I was a little lost at first. I did a lot of things that were really unnecessary, and lacked on a lot of things that were more important! I've recently revamped my daily routine once again, and I thought I may as well share what I've learned. So, here we go, the top 5 tips for a new housewife...

1. Ask your husband what is important to him. This is such a simple thing, that is so important! I would suggest and advise all keepers of the home to do this. Our husbands are all different, they all have expectations on what clean is. Often bloggers say doing x, y, or z is what will make us successful homemakers, when our husbands really care about a, b, and c being done! What my husband wants and prefers done is the backbone of how I run things. My husband personally cares about his work uniforms being clean, dinner to be done, our home to be picked up of clutter, and a generally clean home before the weekend. My list is more detailed, like washing windows, checking baseboards, mopping, dusting, and all other fun stuffs like that.

2. Get your cleaning done as early as you can. This is something I struggle with. I am not a morning person, so hopping out of bed and getting my chores done is not easy. I need some time to wake up and be pleasant. I spent a lot of my early marriage waiting until the latter part of the day to get my cleaning done. This meant I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off before my husband was due to arrive home. It made me flustered and more easily annoyed when my husband got home, and also meant some things were neglected due to lack of time. My goal is to always get the house tidy as soon as I can, and then do a whole house check at the end of the day.

3. Pick up after yourself. Oh boy do I hate this one! It makes a difference though. After the home is clean, any time you do something that makes a mess, don't wait to clean it up. Go ahead and wash the dish, or pick up what you dropped, it just makes things easy for you later. I also encourage this same thing if you have children or a husband. I wish I would have had this mindset ingrained in me as I grew up so it wouldn't be such a chore now! I do not expect my husband to do any housework at all, especially the days he works. However, I do ask him to at least pick up after himself on the weekends.

4. It's OK if you do things differently. As a young, impressionable housewife I really thought I wasn't as good of a housewife if I didn't do what other housewives did. I spent a lot of time on homemaking journals, and schedules that were really useless to me. I am a free spirit, I don't do schedules. I do however do lists, which is an entirely different beast. Make your own rules to keeping house. Find out what works for you and do it.

5. Accept that you will never be done. This is a hard, hard truth of being a housewife and homemaker. Your job will never end, and you will never retire. Just accept it. You will always be needed to mend socks, wash dishes, and do laundry. You will always be needed to make your house feel like home. It seems so exhausting and overwhelming, but really, where else would you rather be? Although you may always be buried under laundry, you'll also be making a house a home which is priceless.

What do you think? If you are an experienced homemaker what are your tips to new homemakers? Share in the comments below!

Squirrels.

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:29:00 +0000

When I think, I have a tendency to walk around. Movement seems to help me think. I also tend to look out windows, spying on nature. The other day I was rewarded with these two squirrels foraging in the yard.

I'm pretty sure this was the momma squirrel. She was just munching away on acorns. She was not spooked by any cars, or the dogs occasional barking.

Then I spotted this adorable baby (ish) squirrel on the tree! It was noticeably smaller, and much more feisty and nervous.

It flew around and down the tree, jumping down and taking just a few steps before it plunged it's little claws into the Earth!

He was really getting in there! Moving leaves, and pushing himself into his work.

Bingo!! An acorn was found! It was though, all too dangerous to eat it there on the ground. There could be other big mean squirrels, or dogs...or CATS! Eek!

So with his acorn firmly clutched in his mouth, he flew up the tree...

...to settle onto a branch, and happily feast on his tasty morsel! All the while, mother squirrel was steadfast and oddly unamused by her youngsters squirrely antics...

As you can see, she had already had an acorn or five by the time junior found and fled with his very lonely acorn!

Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 09:26:00 +0000

**I also want to note that I recently switched comment forms to Intense Debate. I just realized that I've not been getting notified of comments, and they haven't been where they normally would be! Intense Debate has been removed, and I am switching back to what I had previously! Sorry for any inconvenience!**

I try not to blog on Saturdays. It's one of those days that people are busy with families, getting things done, you know...all that fun stuff. It's early, early Saturday morning, I'm feeling sick with a sore throat and headache. I've got these thoughts on my mind, and figured "Hey! Bloggers read my blog, maybe they can help! Or at least send up some prayers!" So here's the deal...

I love blogging, and writing. At one point in high school I wanted to be a writer. I love sharing thoughts, pictures, and recording bits of my life. I also love sharing recipes, explaining how to cook, and my passion for certain things. I've recently realized that my blog is kind of directionless. I'm not a food blogger, not a religious blogger, not a DIY, home decor blogger. I'm just this girl, married to a guy, trying to live her dream with a bunch of animals running around. This coming year will usher in a lot of changes for me. Ideally more chickens, a large garden, turkeys, goats, butchering for the first time and all the added adventures of homemaking, etc. I'm extremely passionate about being a homemaker and housewife, but also tremendously passionate about better eating, and good cooking. I want to be the person people can go to if they are confused about how to clean the kitchen or cut an onion, or if they want to figure out how to raise food for their chickens. I also want to document thoughts I may have about God, or my marriage, or share pictures of some pictures I've taken.

So what do I do? Where do I and how do I direct this blog?! Should I just blog what I want to blog even though it could be about chickens one day and God the next? Or should I organize it in another way? Thank you all so much for any and all ideas, and for your prayers!

Thanksgiving 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. It's been a complete whirlwind but it's been wonderful. I always love recapping the festivities of holidays so I can remember later...

The day started bright and early at about 7:30 AM. Unfortunately Rob couldn't/wouldn't get out of bed, so I had to drag the huge turkey out of the fridge, out of the brine and into the bag in the roaster. It went well, and I like knowing I can do it alone. Rob ambled into the kitchen. As it has been, and may always be, I would be unable to cook on Thanksgiving Day without my husband. He becomes the hands I don't have but need! We did the first thing we always do together...peeled potatoes. Put those on, and I got sweet potatoes on to boil.

Other tasks just fell into place after that. We worked on the sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, then the green bean casserole. I got the carrots and brussel sprouts ready, and we worked on any cleaning that needed to be done. I set the table while Rob went to take a shower, and when he got done I put together the dressing and went to take my shower. As I was getting ready to get in the shower my parents arrived with my aunt. They were a little early, but it made me realize how close we were to dinner time! I showered as quick as I could, and headed back to the kitchen. My mom was doing dishes, and my husband was tidying things up and I started cooking.

The last 30-40 minutes of cooking is the hardest. I was making beets, creamed corn, creamed spinach, gravy, everything at the same time. Also getting things in and out of the oven and not letting anything get to cold. This is when my husband is so important for me. It's astounding how we work together in the kitchen. I noted it last year, but this year was the same. We are just so in sync, it's like a perfect dance. We'd also be lost without my mother doing dishes for us!

Finally, dinner was served. The moment we were all waiting for. This is just after we started eating...

Pardon the lens cap, I was tired! Oh, and as a note, it's not wine, sparkling juice!

We ended up having 14 sides including my moms sweet potatoes. I know it's a ridiculous amount of food. I wouldn't do it differently. Maybe eventually it'll be downsized, but not yet! I love cooking so much, and even though it's exhausting I wouldn't change a thing! Here is a picture of my mom's plate.

I love how colorful the plate is. So many colors and different foods! All together this was a huge success. It was delicious, and pretty perfect. The only thing I would change would be if I could get another stove/oven to cook with on Thanksgiving day, and to see what items reheat well that I could definitely make a day in advance.

How was your Thanksgiving? Did it go well? Share below!

Gratitude and Bloggie Break

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:35:00 +0000

I'm not going to be blogging this week. I want to keep my home (and my family) my top and utmost priority this week. I find it extremely important to keep my stress level as low as possible around holidays! I want to be nice and pleasant around the people I care about, not stressed out and cranky. Being as I don't plan on doing anymore posts this week, I thought I'd share what I'm thankful for.

-I'm thankful for God, for His sacrifice, guidance, strength and love.

-I'm thankful for my husband. I am thankful for him working so hard to provide for me (and all the furry and feathered mouths) I'm thankful just to know him, and even more thankful to be married to him.

-I'm thankful for my family. They are supportive, helpful, and always entertaining.

-I'm thankful for my animals. The joy, laughs, love, loyalty and companionship they offer is astounding.

-I'm thankful for my home. It's more than just drywall and paint, it's a shell holding memories, and love.

-I'm thankful for my life. I am so happy to be alive, happy to be on this rough adventure called life. I wouldn't change it for anything.

What are you guys thankful for this year?

Although I will not be blogging the rest of the week, you can get updates here:

The Atypical Housewife

Oh, and if you haven't already, you can also find me on pinterest here:

Have a great week!

Differences Between Men & Women

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:56:00 +0000

Men and women are not the same. Although some people would like to believe they are, it just is not how we were created. This does not mean I believe and support all gender stereotypes, in fact I think a lot are just plain silly. However, to say men and women are the same, that is just absurd! Since being married I've noticed a lot of things that make my husband and I different from each other From the way we solve problems, the way we remember, and other little things.

Source

My husband works in a very physical and rough environment. He's a diesel mechanic, so getting fingers smashed, hands scraped, and cuts are every day occurrences I noticed however, that the stories behind his cuts and injuries were often pretty interesting. "Yea I was working on this truck and apparently cut my finger. I didn't notice I was bleeding until I was done replacing this valve." or "I scrapped my hand really bad, and it bled quite awhile. Then I forgot until I washed my hands and got soap in it." Whereas I can get a smaller cut, notice it right away, and have to put a band-aid on it to forget about it. So I started to wonder, is this just us, or is there more to this? This is what I found.

Men:

greater upper body strength
build muscle easily
have thicker skin
bruise less easily
lower threshold of awareness of injuries to their extremities
built for physical confrontation and use of force
joints are well suited for throwing objects
skull is usually thicker and stronger
solving problems presents an opportunity to demonstrate their competence, strength of resolve, and commit to a relationship
how a problem is solved is not as important as solving it effectively and in the best possible manner
tend to dominate and to assume authority in a problem solving process
set aside their feelings provided the hierarchy was agreed upon in advance and respected
often distracted when problem solving and don't attend well to the quality of their relationships
usually taller and heavier
more body hair than women
better distance vision and depth perception and usually better vision in lighted environments
performs better on tests of spatial and mathematical ability
tend to be more physically aggressive
prone to taking risks
larger waist in comparison to their hips
denser, stronger bones, tendons and ligaments
longer canine teeth
pelvis more optimized for walking
larger tracheae and branching bronchi, with about 56% greater lung volume per body mass
larger hearts
10% higher red blood cell count
higher hemoglobin, hence greater oxygen-carrying capacity
higher circulating clotting factors, leads to faster healing of wounds and higher peripheral pain tolerance
skin is thicker and oilier, slightly darker

As a not this these are all average things. On average men are taller and heavier but there are exceptions. I find it completely fascinating that men have a lower awareness of injuries to their extremities, how fitting is that for men? When men worked much more physical jobs than today it would have been a good advantage. I also think this list creates a very good picture of how God created men to be. Protectors. They were made to be fighters, to be problem solvers and physically rough. Something that was slightly mentioned, but I (as a geek) find interesting is men's beards. A lot of people think that men's beards are to make men seem larger, and something women could use to determine a mans age and attractiveness. This could be partially true but if it was because of the weather. My husband is currently sporting a beard, and I had to ask. Is your face really warmer with a beard?! The answer was...yes! Now, the way my brain processes this is, God knew men would be out in the elements. Working out in the cold, so he gave them a built in ski mask. Something to protect his face from the elements. I find it utterly fascinating! Now for women...

Women:

mature faster than men
larger hip section
pelvis is wide, in fact any wider and women would be unable to walk properly
skin is warmer
more pain receptors per cm
thyroid is larger and more active, enlarges during menstruation and pregnancy which makes her more prone to goiters, but provides resistance to cold
blood contains more water
more sensitive to sound
more body fat
have better night vision, see better at the red end of the light spectrum
better visual memory
better at memory and verbal ability
four times as many brain cells connecting the right and left side of their brain
can focus on more than one problem at a time
solving a problem can profoundly impact whether they feel closer and less alone or whether they feel distant and less connected
solving a problem can weaken or strengthen relationship
larger stomach, kidneys, liver and appendix but smaller lungs
ability to not only birth children, but feed children
better equipped for receiving, experiencing and recalling emotional experiences
part of brain responsible for regulating emotions, including aggression, is larger
more empathetic
better self control
enhanced awareness of emotionally relevant details, visual cues, verbal nuances, and hidden meanings.
more likely to navigate by using landmarks

These differences are so interesting. How interesting is it that on average women have warmer skin? It seems odd, but think of it. We're the ones holding babies close keeping them warm! We're more sensitive to sound, which makes sense as to detect if our babies were ever in distress. Whether it's something you are happy with or not, women's list of characteristics leads into being someone who bears and raises children and nurtures those around her.

When you look at the way both men and women are created it's interesting to see that where one gender fall short, the other rises above. Men are more physically strong, but women excel in communication. God made us so we fit together and compliment each other. With my supersonic hearing, I can alert my husband so he can physically confront the offending intruder!

Are there any other differences you've noticed between men and women? Feel free to share in the comments!

Sources:

Gender Differences are Real

Biological Differences Between Men and Women: How Behavior is Effected

Understanding the Difference Between Men and Women

Physical Differences Between Men and Women

Difference Between Male and Female Structures

Just a List

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:01:00 +0000

We've been at my parents all day getting work done. It's late, and I cannot think of anything to write about. Partially because I'm tired and maybe a hint of writers block. In this spirit, I give you...a list...

-I am struggling to write this list even though it should be easy!

-I'm trying to figure out what my blog is about. I want to write about homemaking, but what do I say about it? I want to write about self sufficiency...gardening, chickens, goats but not much is happening now that it's so cold. I wish I could read all of your minds so I'd know what you wanted to read about!

-I cannot wait until Thanksgiving day. It's such a wonderful holiday.

-I am brainstorming some ideas for a Christmas series but not sure how to go about it yet.

-I tried Earl Grey tea for the first time yesterday. It was SO good.

-You know those cold, fall days? The ones where it's drizzling outside, leaves are falling and it's dark and grey? My favorite part about those days is waking up under my amazingly warm blanket, next to my husband. Usually trapped by two dogs, and two cats. <3

-I wish I had more friends and an excuse to cook them dinner parties.

-Although I am so, so, so excited for fall and winter. Although I am so excited for Christmas and New Years, I can't wait until spring either. Baby chicks, goats, and planning a garden are all so exciting.

-I never knew how difficult it was to pick out curtains, and find furniture. Ugh.

-My husband and I eat tacos every single week. We love it, they are so delicious!

I hope you didn't mind my random list today. A more sane post is scheduled for tomorrow!

The Meaning Behind My Blogs Name

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:49:00 +0000

Though I've never talked about it, it wasn't very easy to pick out my blog name. In fact, when I first started out I just went by Mrs. Tillery. It wasn't until I had been around awhile, and realized I wanted more than just a basic blog that I invented The Atypical Housewife. So, how did I pick The Atypical Housewife...and...why?

The easiest part was knowing I wanted housewife to be in the name of my blog. I wanted people to know that if they came to my blog, they'd be reading about the domestic arts. So I kept saying to myself, The _____ Housewife? What would fit there? I tried so many different words, but nothing seemed right. The Different Housewife? The Intriguing Housewife? The Vintage Housewife? The Bored Housewife? None of it was sounding right, or expressing what I wanted to express. I wanted people to get the hint that I wasn't a normal housewife, I wasn't a retro housewife, not a crazy one, and definitely not a desperate housewife. I didn't want people to think I had it all together, or was Martha Stewart-esque. I just wasn't typical. So what was I? Atypical.

I am not typical, especially when compared to a lot of other housewives in today's culture. I'm nothing more than a girl turned housewife. I'm not rich or well off, I know more about being poor and sticking to budgets than those ladies on TV. I do not party, and I do not sass my husband. I'm not on the other end of the spectrum either. I'm not quiet and meek, I'm (usually) not wearing an apron, and you will probably never find my closet organized. Not to mention I am a housewife, without children. I am 25 years old, but my goal is my home, it's my husband, not a career. I don't want people reading my blog and thinking, "Oh geez, she's just so perfect, she has everything together and is so typical of all the other bloggers I read." Because I'm not that housewife. I haven't had a manicure since I got married, and if I'm lucky I can wear fingernail polish for a day before it chips off. Oh, and I bite my nails. I cut my own hair, and have no high lights. I like ranch dressing with my pizza and only own one pair of high heels. I let my dogs share my pillow, and I serve as supreme heating blanket for my cats. I'm pretty sarcastic, and I do not adore the Victorian era. As I grow, and work towards my dream of being a little more self sufficient, I just get more atypical. It's not typical to grow your own food, to butcher your own animals, and to make your own cheese.

So that's it, that's why I'm The Atypical Housewife. But now I'm dying to know, what's the meaning behind your blogs name?

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Resources and Reminders

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 09:53:00 +0000

Alright kids, this series is closing! I have really, truly loved writing these posts, and I hope to do a Christmas series soon as well! Today I want to close this with two things, a reminder and some resources.

I want to remind everyone, as you plan for your Thanksgiving, to truly think about the day you're celebrating. Thanksgiving is all about thanking God for all He has done, and all He has given us. It is so easy to get sidetracked by holidays, to get distraught because the chairs don't match, or you have to use paper cups. You may not have the house how you want it, or the walls painted perfect. It's easy to get distracted by things to do, food to cook, and people to care for. Instead of letting those ungrateful thoughts fill your mind and heart, replace them with prayers of thankfulness. Don't be despaired by dishes, rejoice you had a nice feast, unhappy with aspects of your house, praise God you have a home. Take time everyday to think of what you are thankful for, thank God for those things, keep a thankful journal if you need too! Women tend to set the tone in the home. If you are happy, if you are positive and thankful, other follow suit.

The last thing I wanted to leave you will was a little list of resources for Thanksgiving. You can always do google searches, but here are just a few sites that may help give you ideas or direction.

Bliss Diaries Thanksgiving Guide-this is from a fellow blogger, she has some great decor and amazing ideas on what to wear for Thanksgiving dinner!
Bon Appetit's 2012 Thanksgiving HQ
Food & Wine Ultimate Holiday Guide
Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Guide
Food Network's Thanksgiving

I truly hope you enjoyed this series! If you have any questions between now and Thanksgiving, please leave a comment, or send an e-mail! I hope you all end up having a truly wonderful Thanksgiving!

More in this series:

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Being a Good Host
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Setting the Tone
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Fun for Kids
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Recipes an d Time Management
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Tips and Tricks
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Resources and Reminders

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Tips and Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 09:52:00 +0000

Thanksgiving seems overwhelming, and stressful. Anytime you are cooking a big dinner, and hosting people in your home you are going to be stressed. I don't think you can take all the stress out of it, but I do think you can minimize the work and stress. So in an effort to give you some ideas to make it easier, here are some tips and tricks!

-Start now! Do not wait to menu plan any longer than this weekend. Do not wait to start grocery shopping. Do not wait to start cleaning and preparing! The more you start doing now, the less stress you will have then. For me this means I have everything planned, and I have my grocery list. This weekend I'm going to be combing all the ads to see if there is anything I need that will be on sale. If I find something, I'm going to go ahead and buy it. I've also planned out a cleaning and deep cleaning schedule. This won't mean I'll be spared from cleaning right before Thanksgiving, but there won't be a ton to do.

-Get the china cleaned and silver polished. Take inventory now of all your china and silver. Make sure everything is there, intact and you don't need anything extra. Pre wash your dishes, and polish your silver.

-Tablecloth and napkins. Launder your tablecloth and napkins. Fold or roll the napkins how you'll need them, get them ready to be put on the table.

-Set the table. A day or two ahead, if possible, go ahead and set your table! Put out your plates, napkins, and cups. Decorate, get everything ready for the dinner. It may seem odd, and it will mean your table is out of commision but it'll keep you from having to get things perfect before dinner.

-No cooking. I highly suggest to plan on not cooking dinner the two nights before Thanksgiving. You can get food out, or make it ahead of time. The goal is you won't have to do any extra cooking or dishes you don't have to do.

-Enlist help. I prefer not to have a lot of bodies in the kitchen. The sad truth is when too many people are in the kitchen it gets crowded, hot and distracting. I suggest having one other helper, unless your kitchen can afford more. My husband is my sous chef on Thanksgiving day. We've cooked enough together to not get in each other's way. I am always, always thankful for my mother though. She is a dishwashing machine and tends to help keep the dishes under control!

-Be rested. Do not stay up ridiculously late the night before Thanksgiving. Rest, relax, take a bubble bath, and try to get as much sleep as possible. It'll put you in a better mood when you start cooking.

-Disposable pans. I try to keep things traditional for Thanksgiving. That means pulling out the fine china and silver. No throw away plates on this day for me! However, I do use aluminum pans with lids for most of the sides. You can get them at the dollar tree (a dollar for 2 or 3 pans...with lids!). Make your mashed potatoes, and put them in one of these tins. Bake when it's time, put the pan on the table, and afterwards just put the lid on and put them in the oven. This saves on dishes, and time transferring sides after dinner.

This is, in my opinion, the most important tip or trick...

Set a great atmosphere. Get up, light candles, play Christmas music. Have some mulled cider in the crock pot to sip on, and be as pleasant and happy as possible. If you get tired, cranky, or annoyed, remind yourself what you are thankful for! Make memories of laughter and love, not yelling and anger.

One more post until the end of the series! If you have any questions now or closer to Thanksgiving feel free to ask and I'll get you an answer.

More in the series here:

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Being a Good Host
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Setting the Tone
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Fun for Kids
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Recipes an d Time Management
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Tips and Tricks
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Resources and Reminders

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Recipes and Time Managment

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 09:52:00 +0000

In today's post I'm going to be sharing the links to all of the recipes I'll be using this Thanksgiving. In addition to that I'm going to share tips on time management for the big cooking day! We'll start with time management tips and ideas, and go from there. Unfortunately this won't be a fancy post with pictures, and charts, just good ole' fashioned advice in printed fashion!

I am a firm believer that the Thanksgiving meal should be, for the most part, cooked on Thanksgiving day. Food made in advance and reheated just doesn't have the same feel to me. Being as all my cooking happens on the day of Thanksgiving, I have to really keep track of things, and do some prep work a day in advance. So, this is my personal plan for right now.

Monday, November 19th, make brine and let cool. In the evening go ahead and put turkey in brine.

Wednesday, November 21:

Desserts:
Make apple, and pumpkin pie.
Make pumpkin bread, cut in slices, and let sit overnight.
Make the spicy caramel apple sauce.
Make the vanilla bean creme anglaise.

Side Dishes:
Dressing: cut bread into cubes, prepare the chestnuts, cut up the onions, celery, and parsley.
Brown Sugar Glazed Beets: prepare and cut beets into cubes.
Creamed Spinach: cut onion, and garlic.
Cranberry Sauce

Thursday, November 22:

Wake up early and get turkey in the oven by no later than 8:45 AM
Start the process of making the dinner rolls.
Prepare mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes, put in their dishes, and refrigerate until closer to dinner.
Prepare both carrots and brussel sprouts for roasting.
About an hour before dinner is ready, put dressing into oven.
Put sweet potatoes, carrots, green bean casserole, and brussel sprouts into the oven right after turkey is removed. Once one of these is done, start putting batches of rolls in to bake.
Work on preparing stove top items, such as the beets, creamed corn, and spinach.
Let turkey rest, covered, until all other sides are completed.
At last minute make gravy.

That's the plan! As you can see I do not go by times on the clock. The most difficult/time consuming items come first. The rolls will be homemade, so they have to be made, and rise before they can be baked. I plan this to take a few hours. The mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole can be made, put in their dishes, and wait to get baked. The same goes for the carrots and sprouts. If life was fair, I'd get to do this with two ovens! The day always starts pretty easy going, and get more and more stressful and hurried as things go along. It's normal, try not to fret, and freak. Everything will work out! A little after dinner I'll prepare the bread pudding and slide it into the oven. Then the day's cooking will be over. You can sit back, and breathe.

Now, here are all the recipes I'm following this year. Some are tried and true, some are new. Feel free to give any of them a try!

Turkey Brine-tried this on a chicken. It was simply delicious!
Dressing- I have not tried this recipe, it's from Martha Stewart. I decided to do a traditional chestnut stuffing this year. I have never tried this, and hope it's as good as it sounds! I knew my husband wouldn't be happy about it, so gracing our table will also be a box of Stouffers!
Cranberry Sauce-I made this last year, it's wonderful!
Mashed Potatoes-These potatoes are amazing. My husband gets all excited anytime I even mention mashed potatoes because he knows they will be these mashed potatoes. If people attending do not like cream cheese, do not fret! My husband hates it but doesn't mind it a bit in this recipe.
Pecan Sweet Potatoes-We have always had marshmallow topped sweet potatoes until I tried this recipe a few years ago. We are divided here on what is best. I love these, my husband doesn't. So we make both! These are very sweet, and could totally be put in a pie crust if you wanted a great sweet potato pie!
Roasted Carrots- These are amazing. Roasting makes veggies amazing anyway, but these...these carrots are so good!
Rolls-I've never tried this recipe, but it sounds super simple! She even has a variation that you can bake things you're thankful for into. You gotta check it out!
Green Bean Casserole-Good ole green bean casserole. It's so simple, but delicious I'm making extra as a request by my husband because he loves it so much! I would never deny a request to eat more veggies!
Brown Sugar Glazed Beets-Never had but I am dying to try these! I've never actually cooked beets, only had them from the can! I'm hoping this is so delicious I'll want to cook it all the time.
Maple-Balsamic Brussels Sprouts- I tried just roasting brussel sprouts one year and was not impressed. So, I'm trying again this year! I'm hoping these are as good as they look.
Creamed Corn- I have not tried this recipe, and never made creamed corn, but it sounds like a great addition.
Creamed Spinach-I know it's gotta be horrible to have two creamed veggie dishes, BUT I couldn't say no to this! I loved creamed spinach, but have never made it.
Pie Crust- I'll be using this pie crust recipe I posted about last week. It's my grandmother in laws recipe, and totally amazing! I could never make pie crust till I found this recipe.
Pumpkin Pie-This is also my grandmother in laws recipe. My husband is in love with this pie, and would probably be fine with eating it every night of the week!
Apple Pie-Another recipe I haven't tried, but it has amazing ratings. I can't wait to test it out!
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with a Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce, and a Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise-I made this last year, it's absolutely amazing. It is also kind of expensive and time consuming. Hence why it is, thus far, a Thanksgiving day only recipe.

I truly hope you have a chance to add one of these to your Thanksgiving Day plans! It will be completely worth it! We have just two more posts left to go in this series, this has been a fun challenge and I hope you've enjoyed it. Again, if anyone has any questions, big or small, feel free to ask!

More in this series:

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Being a Good Host
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Setting the Tone
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Fun for Kids
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Recipes an d Time Management
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Tips and Tricks
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Resources and Reminders

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: The Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 09:52:00 +0000

If there is one food that is absolutely expected on Thanksgiving it's turkey. It's the star and the highlight of dinner! If you have never cooked a turkey before you could find it a little daunting and overwhelming. However, it's really not as difficult as you may think, I promise! I have a recipe to share, along with some questions you may have answered. We'll start with some general questions you may have.

How big of a turkey do I need?

I love leftovers. Like, it's one of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving! I would plan on at least 1 pound of turkey per person, plus a few pounds extra for leftovers.

Uhm, fresh or frozen? Tom or hen?

Fresh or frozen are both generally the same. You will get a cheaper price on a frozen turkey, especially if you are a smart shopper. You will have to allow plenty of time to let your turkey thaw before cooking! Don't forget this! If you get a fresh turkey it will not be frozen, so you won't have to worry about thawing. It will also be free of any solutions that may have been injected in it. They will also probably ask if you want a tom or hen. The only difference is in general toms will be the larger turkeys, and hens the smaller.

What do I need to do with the turkey before cooking it?

If you haven't handled a lot of raw meat, or whole bird carcasses, make sure you pull on your big girl pants Thanskgiving morning! Once your bird is thawed you will need to stick your hands in it's cavity to remove the neck, heart, and other bits and pieces. It may seem gross, but we've been doing this since the beginning of time. It's natural! You can cook the neck and other bits if you want to make stock, or some add them to their stuffing. Or you could give your pets the bits and let them have their own feast! You will want to give your bird a nice rinse, although the high temperatures while cooking will kill any bacteria. If you are planning to brine your turkey, I have instructions and a recipe below. You will clean the bird and cavity, and then brine for at least 24 hours. Right before the bird goes in the oven some put butter and seasoning in and on the bird.

What is brining? Do I have to do it? Is it worth it?

Brining is magic. It can keep your turkey from getting dry during cooking, it tenderizes the meat, and flavors it. A brine is a salt, sugar and flavoring solution that helps flavor your turkey. The salt in the solution actually changes the structure of the meat. It allows it to swell and absorb both the liquid and flavorings added. Brining is something that a lot of people haven't heard of, or don't understand. You don't have to do it, but I strongly suggest you give it a try! I find it completely worth the extra effort, and would not even consider of a Thanksgiving without it! If you are leery about it, make the brine recipe below in a smaller quantity (at least half if not less) and brine a whole chicken in it. Cook it, and you will not believe the difference! The only thing I would caution is using a brine can cause your drippings to be very salty. This means if you use drippings for gravy, you could be in for a very salty surprise. This is one of the reasons it's a good idea to only brine turkeys that are fresh, with no saline solutions injected. In the past I have not had this problem, and I have used frozen turkeys that had solution added.

How do you cook your turkey?

A lot of people put their turkey in the oven, and baste every few hours. My family and I have cooked our turkey in a completely different way! We always buy and use a turkey oven bag. It's a bag that locks in all the steam from the cooking process. We also always, always, always cook our turkey breast down. This keeps the turkey from getting dry. And better yet, no need to baste. Just put it in the oven and let it go. You will not have a picture perfect turkey sitting on the table, but you will have the most delicious, succulent turkey you've ever tasted.

(Do you have any other turkey questions, feel free to ask!)

Ok, so about this brining stuff, the last few years we've bought our brine from the store. They've been fairly expensive (at least 8 dollars), and I've seen recipes floating around. So, I looked around on the internet and found two brine recipes that sounded great, and decided to test them out. I cut a whole chicken in half, and brined it separately and then my husband and I did a blind taste test. The recipe that beat out the other was The Pioneer Woman's brine recipe! Both my husband and I tasted the other brine and thought it was great, but then we took a taste of PW's and it was about three times better! Without further ado, here it is!

This is all you need to transform your turkey from dull to delicious! Brown sugar, salt, apple juice, peppercorns, garlic, rosemary, oranges, and bay leaves. Simple, simple, simple!

You'll want to dismember your rosemary some. Then just give it a nice rough chopping. If you were going to be eating this you'd want to avoid all the thicker rougher stems. Being as this won't be eaten, it won't be a problem!

Next take your garlic (of which I did extra!) and smash it, take the skins off, and then give it a nice rough chop. It doesn't have to be perfect, this is all for flavor not presentation.

Take your orange, and cut off the peel. Eat the yummy insides. Toss the peels into the pot with your garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, sugar, apple juice and water.

Take your brine concoction to the stove, and bring it to a boil. Stir and let all the sugar and salt dissolve, and take it off the heat. Put it in the fridge and let it cool.

Once your brine solution is cool, pour your brine into a brining bag. (It looks like a very large ziplock) Add your turkey, seal and walk away! Halfway through the brining you should flip your bird. You want to brine at least 1 hour per pound, but you can brine longer if you would like.

Click here to go to The Pioneer Woman's website for the brine recipe!

We're nearing the end of this Thanksgiving series. I have just a few more posts and we'll be done, so if you have any questions feel free to ask! If you want to save this for later you can use the "pin it" button next to any button to pin it to pinterest.

More in this series:

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Being a Good Host
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Setting the Tone
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Fun for Kids
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Recipes an d Time Management
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Tips and Tricks
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Resources and Reminders

2012 Thankgiving Guide: Fun for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 12:10:00 +0000

Being as I did not get a post in yesterday, I'm posting two today! This post is all about kids, entertaining, teaching, and making sure the holiday is fun for them! I personally don't have any children, but I do have nieces and nephews. I hope I'm not totally off on what they would enjoy!

Before I show some activities I know the kiddos would love, I want to add in some non-activity thoughts! First, holidays can be stressful and kids can add to that when they try to help. Try to be as patient as possible with them. You don't want to hurt their feelings just because you are hurried. You don't want your child to remember you yelling at them on Thanksgiving. Second, let your kids help! It doesn't have to be fancy, they can help stir something, or even do some small cleaning tasks. Finally, I think it is a wise idea to have a kids table all prepared for the kids. Take some wallpaper from the thrift store and put it pattern side down and tape it down to your kid table. The backside is white and nice a thick, perfect for drawing or coloring on! We used to do this all the time growing up (better yet, just unroll the wallpaper on the floor and draw on it that way!). Have crayons and colored and regular pencils laying out. Oh, and some of these activities are sure to be a hit!

This is a nice, simple activity for kids. A color by number turkey! The benefit to this activity is it's easy, not a lot of mess made, and fun. Oh, and you'll get a cute keepsake from it! Source.

I love this! It's like a color by number but with simple words. Being as this is just coloring, it's another easy craft for the kids. Source.

This is a great little printable for kids to write out what they are thankful for. Younger children could also draw a picture if they couldn't spell. It would also be totally cute to save what they make, and put it in a scrapbook to look back on years from now! Source.

This is such a cute idea, and one I had never heard of before! It's a game that only requires something to draw with and some dice. You draw part of the turkey that corresponds with the number on the dice! This would is still something simple, but a little more time consuming than just coloring! Source.

This would require some supervision and could be a little messier. The children write on the feathers what they are thankful for, color everything, then cut the feathers, hat, feet out and glue them to the turkey! Cute, fun, and keeps them busy! Source.

This is a super cute turkey made from construction paper hand cut outs! Glue together with some wiggly eyes, and you've got an adorable gobbler! Source.

If the weather is fair, and you have a good outdoor area available, why not a scavenger hunt? You could have some small prize for when they get finished, and they could search quite awhile for some of the things on the list. Source.

This is the best out of all of these crafts in my opinion. Now, it will take some extra preparation, and could be a little time consuming, but I think it could really be worth it! This fabulous lady created a Mr. Potato Head turkey. You print out the basic turkey (like the one above) and then she has all these great printable faces, clothes, and feathers for him! You can laminate so they are more durable, or glue them together to be more permanent. Source.

I hope this has sparked some ideas and creativity for Thanksgiving day activities for your kiddos! If you have any other ideas or activities you think kids would like, feel free to share in the comments section!

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Setting the Tone

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:24:00 +0000

So, we've planned the meal, and we've prepared for our guests, next up is setting the tone for Thanksgiving. Creating the atmosphere is more than just cleaning, it's about setting out candles, playing sweet music, and having great smells floating in the air! So today, I'm going to share with you some ideas on creating a great atmosphere for your home this year.

-Lighting. As simple as it may seem, I truly think candle light does great things for making a space seem cozy. It's warm and extremely inviting. Here are some great examples of fun, festive candle ideas!

1. Candles in jars filled with nuts. I also love that the base of the jars is surrounded by some greenery. Source.

2. Tall candle jars, filled with branches topped with floating candles. This is not only whimsical, but elegant and truly beautiful! Source.

3. A candle jar filled with cranberries! I love this idea, it's fitting for the holiday, and also a great pop of color! Source.

4. Tea lights nestled into apples. Not only is this perfect for Thanksgiving, it also smells delicious. Perfect for your table! Source.

5. I totally fell in love with this one! A long, rustic box, filled with candles, small pumpkins, gourds, and twig garland. <3 Source.

6. You tend to see a lot of candles sitting in some type of element. These are made a little more interesting with the leaves tied to them in jute. I love how earthy Thanksgiving decor can be! Source.

7. How cute are these? These are very rustic, and simple. Mason jars filled with clear stones, a floating candle all tied together with jute. What's not to love? Source.

Next up is decorating the table. It's the place everyone will be gathered, sharing delcious foods and things they're thankful for. Although it seems weird, as humans we eat first with our eyes! Which is why a pretty table goes a great distance in setting a special atmosphere.

1. This is such an interesting tablescape! I love how the warm glow from the candles! They used nice earthy tones and decor. They have gourds and pumpkins, along with some antlers (such a awesome idea!). Source.

2. Another gorgeous set up. I love the centerpiece, lots of candles, and bits of nature brought to the table. I also love the the napkin with the leaf tied to it. Source.

3. This is probably one of my favorite tablescape out of all of these. I just love it! I love the rustic aspects, with the gourds and antlers. The colors are noticeable but not overwhelming. I wish I could steal it for my own table! Source.

4. This layout is definitely on the modern side. Rich colors of orange and gray, big square plates, and a perfectly balanced centerpiece. It's something different than what is usually seen for Thanksgiving! Source.

5. A very different and unique tablescape. I love that it kind of makes me think of spring because of the flower centerpiece. I also adore that they used green cups, yet had nice chocolate accents in their napkins and the pine cones! Beautiful. Source.

6. This is the type of tablescape I could envision my mom doing! It's so pretty, and perfect! I love the brown tablecloth, and the contrasting napkins on the plates. They have feathers in vases, along with sparkly pumpkins and accents. It's so pretty! Source.

Next up are place settings. These were briefly shown above, but the ones I've picked out are a little different. If you wanted to do a simple arrangement in the middle of the table, you could then fancy it up with these great place setting/name card ideas!

1. I find this place setting kind of ironic! We have one of the sugar gum trees in our front year, and every fall we get hundred of these little spikey balls all over the yard! What a great idea to take something so unique, put a bow and a tag on it and create a name card! Genius! Source.

2. Ok, seriously, how adorable is this? It's very non traditional, it's very bright and cheery, and just perfect! I could see this being perfect for someone who may find the fall season a little too glum and gloomy. Source.

3. No name tag on this one, but it'd be easy to add one. I just love the way they set up this place setting. It is just so lovely! I think it's the combination of the deep rich purple, the green of the apple, and then all the gourds in the centerpiece. Source.

4. Just about perfect for a fall table, miniature pumpkins turned name card holder! I love these because they are super simple, and perfectly lovely. You can't tell from the smaller picture but it looks like they made their name tags and attached them with a sewing pin. Source.

5. This one is very unique! The setting and silverware are all very formal. I love the folded napkin adored with two feathers. This is a great one if you want to do something that isn't all about gourds, pumpkins and apples! Source.

6. This one is pretty traditional. It's nice a light with the white tablecloth, with great texture coming from the place mats. I love the small berries and the stalks of wheat. Best of all is the pumpkin used as a place card! No waste from this either as you could cook them up afterwards! Source.

7. Another place setting I just love. It must have something to do with the purple and the apples, I don't know I just love it! I also love the way the napkin looks twisted, and they have also just pinned the card to the apple. Source.

I hope you enjoyed this run down of these great Thanksgiving tone setters! I want to add that all of these were found via pinterest and each source is listed to the link the pin went too. Many of these don't have tutorials or anything of that nature unfortunately! I hope this helps get you in the frame of mind to turn your table into something beautiful this year!

More in this series:

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Being a Good Host
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Setting the Tone
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Fun for Kids
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Recipes an d Time Management
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Tips and Tricks
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Resources and Reminders

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Being a Good Host

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:03:00 +0000

Holidays often means you will be playing host to family or close friends. Houses get fuller, and there are more needs to be met. With this in mind I've been thinking about how you can be a good host. This goes to people stopping by for dinner, or maybe guests staying the night.

-Be prepared. Know as far in advance as possible who is coming for dinner, and if anyone will need to be staying the night. This gives you chance to prepare yourself and your home. This will also help lower your stress. If you know ahead of time, you won't be caught off guard and you can be a good host.

-Make the necessary plans. Which bedroom will the guest stay in? Do you have a pet they may be allergic to, or not get along with? Does the guest have any special needs that need to be catered too? Figure out how sleeping arrangements will work, and jot down any important things to remember. Like perhaps picking your guest up at the airport, or helping them to find a hotel if they aren't staying with you.

-Make a list. These can be things that need to be done, or a list of reminders. Make sure the bedding is washed, and the room is clean and uncluttered. Remember to move the nightstand out to make extra room, etc. List everything out even if it seems nit picky or silly. It's a great way for you keep from forgetting something.

-Prepare their room. If a guest is staying at your home for the holidays, make them feel at home. Make sure they have nice clean bedding, a clean space that is not cluttered. Make sure they have a nightstand, outlets to plug in anything that may need to charge, and extra towels just in case. I also think it's a great idea to make sure there are some interesting magazines, a bedside lamp, and kleenex. If you are able, put in a small coffee pot and/or microwave. Include a basket that has towels/washcloths, popcorn, coffee, and any other goodies. You also may want to include some festive decorations or flowers. The goal is to make the space feel inviting and luxurious.

The above tips will help ensure your guests feel at home in your house. There is still one, very important thing you can do for your guests...whether they stay overnight or not.

Your attitude. You may not want to believe it, but the way you act can really impact guests and others around you. If you are hurried, stressed, frazzled, cranky and snippy, your guests are NOT going to enjoy themselves. They want to be in a happy, warm, and fun environment. It is so important for you to take care of yourself mentally and physically before hosting Thanksgiving or a guest. You need to have a plan, but you need to be able to roll with the punches. If your guests breaks a piece of fine China, don't get upset! Remember that this guest at your home is more important and valuable than any piece of dinnerware. If you're adorable niece or nephew dumps a glass of grape juice on your brand new rug, remember to stay calm, laugh, and pull out your carpet cleaner. Do not be negative, argumentative, silent or snippy. Even when you get tired, try to be as gracious and grateful as possible. If for some reason you do reach a point where you are feeling too frazzled and spread too thin. Tell your husband!! Hand over the reigns, and excuse yourself! Grab a warm cup of tea, and recess to the quietest room in the house. Sip your drink, breathe deeply, and think about how grateful you are for a full house and plenty of food for the bellies at your table! Thanksgiving is just a holiday, the people celebrating with you are eternal.

This concludes day two for our 2012 guide to Thanksgiving post! I hope you are getting in the planning mood and getting prepared! As I've mentioned in the last posts if you have a question please feel free to drop me a comment or an e-mail. I'd love to answer any of your questions and help in whatever way possible! If you'd like to save this post for later, feel free to click the little "pin it" button next to any picture. You can pin this to pinterest for safe keeping, and share it with others to help guide them this Thanksgiving!

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 07:59:00 +0000

Thanksgiving. It's an amazing holiday. It gets you thinking and focused on the things you are grateful for. It's full of delicious foods, fancy table settings, and is in a lot of ways the beginning of the Christmas season. I cooked my very first Thanksgiving dinner right after I was married. I ended the night exhausted, but completely happy and satisfied. I have learned a lot since that very first thanksgiving! I plan earlier, have realistic expectations, and keep detailed lists of any thoughts I may have. My sole intention in writing these posts is to help you have a great, hopefully stress free holiday!

Oh, and please pardon the cat tail in the upper left of this photo!

My first tip is to figure out what you are doing for Thanksgiving this year. Get a notebook, get your laptop/computer, grab a hot cup of tea, light a candle and sit down. Play some Christmas music, and take a deep breath! Are you going to a potluck dinner where all you have to do is take a side and dessert? Are you hosting? Are you having multiple dinners? Call people, find out dinner times, what you can bring, and write it down. Write it down somewhere you will not forget!

Next is one of my favorite activities! Go get your cookbooks, log onto your favorite food website, pinterest, or even the great google! Start figuring out what you want on your menu this year. Some things are easy because they are Thanksgiving staples. These usually include things like cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes. They are they things that make the Thanksgiving dinner...well...Thanksgiving dinner! Do not remove these things from your menu...ever. Instead add something new, try something to get people out of their comfort zones. Over the last few years I've tried roasted brussel sprouts, caramelized butternut squash, roasted carrots, and turnip au gratin. None of these were successful in getting to stick on the menu except those roasted carrots. New things won't always work, and that is ok. Another great tip is to ask your guests, and your husband if there is anything in specific they would like for Thanksgiving.

This is what my 2012 Thanksgiving menu looked like while I looked through recipes. Obviously there are way too many sides and desserts here. I try to just let my creativity flow, so if I find a recipe I think looks good (or fun) I jot it down. As you can see I have this in one document, with one page as dinner and the other dessert.

Now its time to get more serious. Here I have made my list much more manageable! I dropped a lot of sides, and rethought desserts. To get to this list I also talked to my husband to see what he thought. (Note: I also ended up getting rid of the mini pies and the bread puddings. Instead I'm doing the pumpkin bread pudding dessert from last year.)

Now comes a part that is not totally necessary, but I find invaluable. Let's say you decide to make stuffing but you aren't sure what type. I always type it into google and see what comes up. Ideally I look for a recipe that has at least a 4.5 to 5 star rating. If there isn't a rating I read the recipe and see if it sounds good. If it sounds good, and it's not terribly difficult, I will try to make it as a test before Thanksgiving dinner. I then open the recipe I've chosen, and a document for recipes. I type or copy and paste the recipe from the website to the document. I do this for EVERY recipe. Why? Well, you can either print off the recipes and put them in a binder for Thanksgiving, or have your tablet or computer in the kitchen while you cook. Last year I did a binder, and this year I'm doing my laptop. I figure I will also be able to play music in the kitchen while we cook.

Once you get all your recipes in place and saved create a new document to serve as your grocery list. Have the documents open side by side and go down your recipe ingredient list. I write down the item, and the amount needed. When I run into that item again, I add a plus sign and the other amount. This is the best way I have found to keep from forgetting any ingredients. It seems tedious, but it is well worth it. There is nothing worse than knowing you need heavy whipping cream, but not how much you need! This is why it's such a good idea to start as soon as you can.

Once you get the rough draft grocery list written, I separate my list by department. It makes it so much easier when you are actually shopping!

Last but not least, I take the time to add up all the amounts and write the final amounts needed next to each item. If I have a weird or odd amount, I always round up. Better to have too much than not enough!

Menu planned, recipes tackled, and grocery list done! Whoo, don't you feel better getting that all taken care of? I know I do! I will be posting some recipes, tips and tricks, decor ideas, and much more the rest of the week (and maybe longer!) I invite anyone who reads this to ask any questions they may have about anything Thanksgiving related. Not sure how to set a table, or fold a napkin, just ask! Also, feel free to press the little "pin it" button next to any of these pictures. It will allow you to pin this post to pinterest to save for later or to guide others here for any help they may need.

Other posts in this series:

2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Being a Good Host
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Menu Planning
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Setting the Tone
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Fun for Kids
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Recipes an d Time Management
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Tips and Tricks
2012 Thanksgiving Guide: Resources and Reminders

Marriage Truths

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:10:00 +0000

Last month my husband and I shared our 3^rd wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe it’s already been 3 years. At the same time I'm glad, because it means we have many more years to go. I thought today I would share some of the truths I've learned over the course of our relationship and marriage.

-God is important. It is important, and vital to keep God in the middle of your relationship and marriage. You won’t succeed all the time, you will fail, but it’s an important thing to strive for.

-Ain’t no such thing as perfection. You are going to fail as a wife, a partner, and as a best friend. You will fail your husband, and you will hurt him. You will burn dinner, break something, or fall below his expectations. You are human, and this is ok. Learn to be humble, and apologize for your shortcomings. Don’t ignore your imperfections, face them, and fight against them. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you are not learning and growing from yours you have a problem.

-You are going to get hurt. Your husband is going to say something to you in a harsh tone. He’s going to fail to provide something to you, whether this is physical, emotional, mentally, or elsewise. This is natural, and normal.

-Don’t harden your heart. When you get hurt, don’t put the walls around your heart up. Don’t harbor it, don’t let it fester. If you get hurt, if you get disappointed, if you have a problem, pray. Then talk to your husband about it. You will feel better, and you will be taking steps is solving the problem.

-You gotta grow up. Once you are married you have to grow up. You don’t get to lean on your parents anymore; you don’t get to live your life for yourself. You are bonded to another person now. You won’t get your way, and you’ll have to be a woman and be ok with it. You’ll have to get your hands dirty, and clean up a lot of dirty socks. You will have to do things you don’t want to do, DO THEM. Don’t pout, don’t complain, just do it.

-Life’s not fair. This is a hard truth! You are not going to get your way. You are not going to be able to control your husband and your marriage. Unexpected things will happen and you will just have to go with it.

-You will fight. When you meet your guy, fall in love and get married you will feel perfect for each other. No serious fights, no annoyances. It’ll be roses and sunshine. Unfortunately you will get your share of rainclouds. You’ll wonder if you made a mistake, if he really is the one. Should you have married him? You’ll wonder how on earth someone could be so annoying! This is normal; you can’t spend forever with someone and always feel great about it. People get cranky…it’s ok! Try to stay positive! If some alone time, a nap, or a hot bath would improve the situation, do it!

-Don’t talk to others about your husband. Don’t. Don’t even think about it. If your husband has gotten on your nerves, don’t go gossiping, and chattering to your parents about it. Don’t talk to your friends about it. If you have a problem, you talk to one person, your husband. If you have a serious problem, talk to a pastor, or counselor. Don’t tease your husband in front of others unless you know, 110% he is ok with what you are saying.

-Laugh. When your husband messes up, laugh instead of getting angry. When he breaks something, scuffs something, or leaves a dirty handprint on the wall, laugh. The first time we moved I told my husband to be careful with one, fragile item. A pair of salt and pepper shaker snowmen. He broke them. I thought I was going to burst into tears, but I laughed instead. If you can laugh, please do.

-Communication. This is probably one of the single most important truths in marriage. Communication makes or breaks. You need to talk about life, love, hurt, religion, food, everything. Ask questions, ask what he’s thinking, and tell him your honest thoughts. Don’t talk too much, but know your husband as well as you can. And remember, as much as you know him, as much as you know his likes and dislikes, you don’t know all of him. There will be fleeting thoughts, memories, and much more you will never know. As much as you know him, there is a vast portion you don’t know. Also, it is so important to remember the most important communication is when it’s hard. It’s when you’re hurting, and when you’re angry. You need to tell him how you feel and why.

Reading all this may be discouraging. You may see a lot of negatives here, but don’t let that fool you. You will love your husband in a way you can’t even imagine. He will become your other half. You will realize you don’t know how you would function without him. The thought of losing him will take your breath away. He will be your voice when you can’t speak, the strength you need to stand, and the friend all your secrets are safe with.

What are your marriage truths? Feel free to share!

Delicious Pumpkin Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 07:22:00 +0000

It is that time of year. When the air gets crisp, the leaves say goodbye in brilliant shades of red and orange. It's a beautiful time of year...and the best time to whip up a delicious, pumpkin pie. Whether you make this for Thanksgiving, or just as the piece de resistance to a Sunday dinner, just promise me you'll make it! This is another of my husbands grandmothers recipes. My husband likes pumpkin pie, but he loves this recipe. Even I have to admit it was sinfully delicious. To make this pumpkin pie even better, is it is a very, very simple pie to make. Seriously. So it's great for a beginner!

This time of year you should have most of these ingredients in the pantry. Evaporated milk, regular milk, canned pumpkin, eggs, spices, and sugar. So simple!

I have the bad habit of never cracking my eggs separately and then beating them. I always put the eggs in first, beat, and then add everything else. I have to say I am SO proud of these eggs. My chickens are such hard workers providing us with tons of fresh, perfect eggs!

Pardon my thumb! While writing this post, and looking over the directions I really just DIYed this pumpkin filling. The directions say to combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices, then blend in your eggs, milk and evaporated milk. I did the eggs, and then just added everything else. Like I said earlier, this is basically no fail!

Next, poke holes in your pie crust! (Which I forgot to do until after I started to pour. I did poke holes, you just can't see them!) Anytime you make a pumpkin pie and pour in the filling it will get very full. Like, can hardly keep from spilling it, kind of full. I've even had some that didn't totally fit in the crust! Make sure if you do a store bought crust to get deep dish. If you do your own crust use a deeper dished pie pan.

Ta da! Beautiful isn't it? I wish I had a picture of it when it was done, but it did NOT last long enough. We had it with my parents one evening and it was so, so good. My husband and my parents like a nice dollop of cool whip on top. I however, eat it plain. I cannot stand cool whip!

Below is a printable of the recipe. Try it out, and consider adding it to your holiday dinners. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Pie Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:16:00 +0000

I have a secret. I have been cooking for quite a few years now. I have made boeuf bourgignon, I have made full thanksgiving dinners, I have even made pumpkin bread pudding with vanilla creme anglaise and a spicy caramel apple sauce! I have not, however, made a successful pie crust. It's just one of those things I struggled to master. Until now! This is my husbands grandmothers recipe. This recipe is simple, and creates a perfect, flakey crust. I would encourage you to give it a try, and use it as your go to recipe this year for the holidays!

For this recipe you will need shortening, salt, all purpose flour and water. You will want ice cold water, and cold shortening. Why the cold water and shortening? You want things cool because it keeps the shortening from melting and fully mixing with the flour. When you bake your crust, the fat melts and the liquid steams the pockets made when the fat melted. This is what makes a heavenly flakey crust.

Here is our shortening measured out and ready to be chilled. I just stuck mine in the freezer until I was ready for it. It was nice and cool and as far as I could tell perfect!

You will want to measure your flour and salt in a mixing bowl, and then add your chilled shortening. Then you will want to take a fork or pastry cutter and incorporate the shortening into the flour. You will want the shortening to be in pea sized lumps. I know you may want to just mix it all together, but resist that urge!

I was tempted not to follow this next piece of instruction. I just kept thinking it couldn't really matter how you added the water. However, I went ahead and did it anyway. The directions say to sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over part of the flour and shortening mixture. Gently toss, and push to one side of the bowl. Then sprinkle the next tablespoon over the dry part; toss; push to moistened side. Repeat until all flour mixture is moistened. Again, resist the urge to mix it well. Just a gentle toss and push it to the side.

Next you will want to gather the dough up and form a ball. At this point you would divide it if you were making a top and bottom crust. I was just doing a bottom crust.

You will want to flour your workspace, smush down your dough, sprinkle flour on it and then start to roll it out. I always flour my rolling pin as well. Another great piece of wisdom this recipe held was to always roll from the center of the dough to the edge. Great advice! It helped me keep this round versus some funky rectangular shape.

Take your pie pan/plate and set it upside down on your dough. Cut around it. In retrospect after doing this I had a lot of dough overhanging. I was just guessing! On the plus side though it is easier to take dough away than to add it back!

This is hopefully how your dough will look now! A fairly evenly rolled out round circle of dough. Ready for the next step? It may change your life...really.

Set you rolling pin on one edge of your dough, and wrap it around your rolling pin. Put your pie pan/plate in place, and then unroll the dough over your pie pan/plate! Ingenious! How many times have you made a dough only to have it get all broken, cracked, and otherwise disfigured before it even reached it's destination?! I can't have been the only one!

Almost done! Just push the dough down, and trim up the edges.

TA-DA!!! To get the cute edges you push the dough against your finger. It sounds confusing, but I promise it isn't! Click here to see how to do this, and fancier crusts.

That's it!! Some pies will require you to prebake this crust, and others allow you to just add the filling and bake. Another piece of advice is to use a fork to prick some holes in the bottom before baking either way. It prevents big air bubbles from forming.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and even more I hope you get in the kitchen and try it out! Coming soon...pumpkin pie filling to go in this lovely shell! Stay tuned!

Oh, and here's a printable of the recipe...enjoy!

Adventures in Life

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:55:00 +0000

The last three months have been some of the most unexpected and difficult in my life. A part of me hates to write about all the unexpected crazy, but this is real life, and this is my story.

As everyone who reads this humble little blog knows, we moved in August to a sweet little home on a little slice of land. 2/3rds of an acre to house chickens, gardens, goats and only God could imagine what else. Before moving we had been living in the home I grew up in, as my parents moved out and into my grandfather’s home after his passing. This was a much more tender and fragile situation than anyone knew or could understand. The house I grew up in was my mothers first real home, she spent 25 years of her life cleaning it, loving it, decorating it, and living in it. My husband and I moved in and it didn't quite feel like ours, some of my parents things were still there, and my mother and I are not quite eye to eye when it comes to how things are handled. I am by nature, and God’s own design laid back, whereas my mom is, and always will be a super busy worker bee. Always cleaning, and working, it’s just her nature. We got into a fight about the house, very mean and hurtful things were said on both sides, and my husband and I started house hunting.

In mere weeks, after looking at three homes, we made a decision. We decided to move 30 minutes away, to the place we felt was perfect for us. We had no hesitations, no reservations. It was pretty cozy (aka small), but had two rooms, nice sized kitchen and living room, and best of all that 2/3rds of an acre. We could manage cozy, and we could have our chickens, and eventually all the other critters I could dream of. The house I grew up in would be polished up, and put on the market to be sold. My parents had to make some repairs to it, and were working with real estate agents on getting things appraised and listed. As repairs were made it seemed as though my parents wouldn't be able to get the price the house was worth.

Just weeks after moving to our cozy home, the fateful question was asked, “Would you want to move back to and own Adrian?”

My husband and I laughed. Move again? No thanks. Move to a city house, with neighbors all around? No thanks. To lose our little slice of heaven? No thanks. Knowing that to have goats and a garden I would have to travel to my parents farm every day? No thanks. It was an easy decision, we said no.

A few weeks went by without us thinking a thought about it, when my parents asked again. Again our answer was, no thank you.

A couple weeks more, and the question was posed again. I think this is when we paused and thought about it. To be asked if you want something more than twice, makes you think that maybe there is more too it than what you thought. Maybe this was something God wanted. We thought about it much more seriously. To lose our little slice of heaven made us sad, we were attached, we had everything we wanted there. However, we were in debt, and making payments living there. Our budget was much tighter, though not beyond our means or impossible. There were some repairs that needed to be done, some cosmetic, and some that were probably much more serious and costly. We also took into consideration the distance. We go to my parents at a minimum of once a weekend, and often more than that. Then we also thought of the what ifs. What if something happened to my parents and they needed help, or what if we had children. Where would we put the children?! Although not impossible, things would be very tight with extra bodies of any kind.

We told my parents no, that we still liked our slice of heaven, and the thought of moving made us sick. We started some repairs, and did some painting. In the back of my mind though, I couldn't shake the thought that maybe we should move. Maybe this was a mistake, maybe God was trying to lead us.

My parents asked a few more times, either directly and indirectly, sometimes just jokingly, but we were ~~sure~~ pretty sure we were sticking with where we were. Then something just kind of hit us, and we started thinking about it. We started talking with each other about it, the pros and cons, the good and the bad, the reasons to move and the reasons not too. We couldn't shake the thought of moving out of our minds, even though we were happy with where we were.

I want to take a moment to express the fact that this was a hard decision to consider. More than words could place here. There were so many reasons to stay, and so many to move, and for the longest time we just didn't know what to do. We prayed, we asked my parents, we talked about it, we asked for signs from heaven. Finally, somehow, we made a decision.

A decision to move back. There are more details that could be added, but I've hit all the important parts. We moved last weekend, and we feel a lot of peace about the decision. There is a lot we've lost, and hopefully more we've gained. So I guess this is it, I’m closing the tumbleweed chapter in the story of my life. Now it’s time to plant roots, and start an entirely new chapter.

I would also like to add that I'm hoping for a different direction when it comes to my blog. I've struggled with a niche, but may have finally found it. In the weeks to come expect to see a lot of cooking tutorials, helpful holiday hints, and advice. You won't want to miss tomorrows post!

Deflated

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Tillery) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:15:00 +0000

Well, this is a blog post I have not been excited to write. There has been so much happening in life lately. Like really, a lot. We're struggling with some decision, and to be honest I can't write here at the moment. I had actually taken some pictures for some tutorials and things to share, along with some chicken pictures, but I cannot actually get the motivation to write about them.

I hate writing this, and I hate that I'm not only going to stop writing, I don't know when or if I'll be back. I know this is just a season, but I really want it to end already. I would love it if you could say some prayers for us. I would love for things to get sorted out soon, and to be in a better place all together.

I will miss you all!

<3

(P.S. I would totally love if, and actually hope I write this, post this, and then get supercharged to write again!)