Author: Tammy Litke

Having grown up with the Bible being a focal part of my lifestyle, I was instantly drawn to the title of this book.  While always having known that I am beautiful in the sight of God and that my inner beauty will always be more important than my outer features, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care how I looked 🙂 

I think it’s important to note that although our personality, demeanor and attitude naturally make all of us beautiful women, there are many places in the Bible where the physical beauty of women are specifically mentioned. 

The holidays are here and some of you may have already given or received boxes of those Queen Anne Chocolate Covered Cherries.  Now I love the taste of chocolate and cherries…but not Maraschino ones.  I think that’s one of those love ’em or hate ’em kind of foods. But when I passed them in the store the other day along with some Diet Cherry Vanilla Crème soda and remembered the yummy Halo Top Chocolate Ice Cream in my freezer, I thought… well I can have my chocolate & cherries…and drink them too!

Taco Cabana launched its newest chef-created salsa in its “Salsa Especial!” program.   Homemade in-store every day, Salsa Crèma is a blend of tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro mixed with sour cream that adds cool spice to any Taco Cabana favorite.  Salsa Crèma was available beginning Nov. 24 and is for a limited time only.

My mother-in-law was the Best. Cook. Ever.  Mashed potatoes were a staple at each meal.  Creamy, fluffy, butter filled scrumptiousness.  But try as I might I never could replicate the texture or flavor of her mashed potatoes.  Epic fail.  Every time. 

One day when grocery shopping I dropped some Idahoan Mashed Potatoes into my grocery cart.  I sneakily made them one night to accompany a roast.

One of the best gifts I ever received was the Canon camera my parents bought me for my high school graduation.  I was taking a gap year and going to India and a good camera let me catch tangible memories of the places and people that I met while I was overseas.  Over the years I’ve upgraded my camera many times and now I’m using a camera with interchangeable lenses, and I’m so glad I have it to get super photos of all the things and places my family and I are blessed to go and do.

The one and only experience I had with a Chrysler vehicle is the one I learned to drive on.  My mom’s Chrysler Fifth Avenue.  You know back in the 80s when hood ornaments were a thing.  My mom’s was black with a maroon velvety interior and the back seat looked like huge, plush sofa.  Knowing how my dad purchases vehicles, it was most likely a luxury sedan at the time, but really for a 16-18 year old…well let’s just say my parents didn’t have to worry about me drag racing in it.

Sometimes I wish the month of December had more hours in the day than the other 11 .  I’m always looking for the easiest way to do…well everything, because there is just so little time to pack in all the things that need to get done before Christmas Day.  That includes using my slow cooker for suppers, which allows me to get a little bit fancy but still make things easy and efficient when it comes to using my time.  Adding garnishes like holiday nuts to a simple dish makes it festive and takes it up a notch for the Christmas season.

My mother-in-law’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is legendary.  It was the one thing my husband brought to our marriage that I didn’t somehow try to get rid of over the years .  He used to make them religiously, batch after batch and I was okay with that, because hey, besides always having fresh cookies in the jar, I didn’t have to make them.  They became the staple item we brought to family gatherings and potlucks because everybody loved them…and everybody asked for the recipe.

Our family does two primary things for entertainment; play video games and watch movies.  In our neck of the woods we have a few movie theaters to choose from, but we gravitate to the two AMC Theatres that are closest to us.  The primary reason is because of their concessions and their AMC Stubs Card.

If you missed my post at the end of November on how I get my guest bathroom holiday ready, you’re in luck.  I decided to show you an up close version of the DIY Mason Jar Soap Dispenser I made designed just for the holiday season.

All you need are a few supplies: