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New Found Developing Skills

I’ve been learning some new skills these last few months. From using new Facebook tools to make slideshows, improving Cinchshare use, to making graphics on Canva and Picmonkey, and making my very first video with Animoto, I’ve been busy putting these to work to help build social media presence for my Lilla Rose business. I’ve also been taking how to use social media trainings.

I hope you enjoy my Animoto video! Mother’s Day is coming, and the new May Flexi of the Month will be revealed soon too!

Blessings,

Deb

Memories of Grandpa G.

I celebrated a fun, albeit bittersweet moment with my youngest daughter, A-Grape this week. It’s bittersweet as this is the last time I’ll celebrate this “first” for one of our children. These “lasts” seem to be coming in faster frequency lately.

For several days, her tooth was very loose. I was sure she would lose it any moment. She, however, was determined to keep it as long as possible. The other morning it was flopping sideways and turning backwards. I had an errand to run, and I didn’t want to miss her first and my last first tooth loss. I had her wiggle and turn so she could pull the tooth herself, to no avail.

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Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle…

After many minutes of waiting for the tooth to come out, I suggested she let me work on it a bit. She was having quite a bit of anxiety that it would hurt, and she was pulling away from me. It was so loose that I truly began to be afraid she would swallow it while I was out running errands.

As I gave the tooth a last tug, and as I comforted her when she realized it had come out, I had a flashback memory of my great grandfather, Grandpa G.

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Grandpa G.

Grandpa G.’s father had been a dentist, and Grandpa G. had quite a lot of experience in gentle tooth pulling. When I was a little girl with loose teeth, my Dad would drive two hours north to visit Grandpa and Nana on a Sunday afternoon for a “loose tooth assessment.” If it was loose enough, Grandpa G. would pull it without my even knowing he had done so. If it wasn’t loose enough, he’d suggest we make another trip back to see him soon. We’d eat Snow’s New England Clam Chowder and Ritz crackers with peanut butter before heading back home.

These happy memories make me so thankful, and while I pulled A-Grape’s tooth, I shared them with her. I’m not sure the stories comforted her as much as they gave me joy.

Memories of Grandpa G

Sporting the “Gap.”

Regardless, A-Grape lost her first tooth, and now she sports her “gap” with great pride.

I love being a Mom and celebrating these smallest of joys!

Have a blessed new week!

Don’t forget to celebrate small joys and make memories!

Deb

PS. I became a Cinchshare affiliate this week. Cinchshare is making posting to my LoveLeavingLegacy facebook page, Instagram, and Pinterest a breeze as I build my social media presence with Lilla Rose, and as I plan for Facebook Hair Flair Extravaganzas 45 minute parties.

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Cinchshare Affiliate

PPS. Lilla Rose has Customer special for the month of April. Customers can receive one pair of bobby pins with a $50 purchase while supplies last. I’d love for you to check out all the New Release and Limited Release styles, as well as April’s Flexi of the Month style on my website.

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Dogwood, April’s Flexi of the Month

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April’s Lilla Rose Customer Special

Beans, Bread, Legacy?

For Christmas we gave each of our six children a recipe book or recipe card file box along with recipe cards to fill with their favorite recipes to take to their future families. The idea stemmed from recipes that I have, written in my grandmothers’ handwriting, or that have a special family member’s name assigned as to where it came from. We have similar recipes from Dr. P’s family as he was growing up. These legacy items mean a lot to us, especially the ones in original handwriting. We hope that these gifts mean a lot to them, especially as time goes by.

Dr. P had a favorite recipe his family called “Hungry Boy Casserole.” I grew up with “Boston Baked Beans” handed down to my mother from my aunt. We have both recipes. Fourteen years ago, we began grinding our own wheat and making our own whole wheat bread. Really, nothing we’ve tried compares to the recipe we use. It’s also a fairly frugal recipe for a larger than average family.

On Friday night, my friend Heather posted a baked bean recipe she makes in the crock pot for her family of twelve! It involves dried navy or great northern beans soaked and cooked until softened, a chopped onion, ketchup, brown sugar, water, dry mustard, and molasses all stirred together in the crock pot, and then more water is added to cover the whole mixture. Set the crock pot on low for about 8 hours, and stir occasionally. Interestingly, it’s very similar to the Boston Baked Beans recipe I have.

Inspired by Heather, I was suddenly craving Boston baked beans or Hungry Boy, and our fresh ground, fresh out of the oven whole wheat bread!

On Saturday I tasked Lady L with soaking and cooking the beans while I did organizing projects, and Sunday we prepared the rest of the ingredients for our Monday night bean and bread feast.

After eating dinner tonight, I have one word.

YUM!

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Boston baked beans turned Hungry Family crockpot meal with a side of sliced, hot, whole wheat bread.

Equally fun is that tonight’s dinner turned into requests for the new version Hungry Family recipe, and the bread recipe be added to the address books and files.

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I love baking bread 5 loaves at a time! And I love the Urban Homemaker recipe found here!

Blessings,

Deb

Hungry Family Casserole Crock Pot Style

4 cups of navy beans soaked and cooked 3 hours to soften

While beans are cooking, in crock pot add:

1 lb of (thawed if frozen) turkey burger

1 lb of turkey bacon diced up

1 large onion diced

1 large green pepper diced

Minced garlic to taste (we like a lot!)

1 tsp salt

Cook and stir until cooked through. Put cooked beans into mixture.

Add 2 cups of tomato sauce, 1 ½ c brown sugar, 3 teaspoons dry mustard, and 2 tablespoons of Blackstrap molasses. Add water to the top of the 7 quart crock pot. Cook on low for 8+ hours, and stir often. Check that the lid being left on doesn’t make the beans too soupy, or that water doesn’t need to be added.

Thank you to Heather M. for the suggestion and inspiration!