Taste of Texas Brewing. It Must be Friday

A shout out to our friend R. over at W. for suggesting A Taste of Texas San Antonio blend coffee.  It is a house blend for H.E.B. from their Taste of Texas line.  We had a bit of a problem as H.E.B. has no location here, but we were not dismayed.  C. was in San Antonio for a convention and came home with the goods.  THUMBS UP all around for this festive grind.

The tasty treats were in abundance as N. baked up delicious muffins accompanied by summer fresh strawberries.  V. did not disappoint on the new product front. Cremesicle Oreos and Special K Crisps. The Special K Crisps were approved by everyone. The Oreos didn't seem to have much orange flavor, a big NO from M. but V. thought the taste might have been lost in the coffee and liked them much better later in the afternoon.

The Taste of Texas opens a whole new world of coffee for our Friday Forum.  Is there something you think we should try?

Pictures by:

hebshopping .com

pogocheats.net

sportslinkup.com

Exercise Much?

Our pastor spoke recently from Matthew 14 concerning Peter and his cry for help on the water.  The point of his sermon was, as disciples of Christ our faith is always in place and times of distress are the opportunities we have to exercise it. 

This message hit close to home being in line with my 2011 words to live by: Be Not Afraid.  At the start of the new year I declared these to by my words for 2011.  In January the calendar already had three big events, not to mention the family shift of graduation and eventually starting college.

In the past six months, like most Christians, I have had to exercise my faith over and over.  In each instance I have sought God and claimed I would not be afraid of what I did not know or could not control.  Assessing these stressful situations from an internal point of view I believe I have managed most events in a calm and peaceful manner, experiencing much more enjoyment than anticipated through the pre-planning.

Spiritual maturity is often so incremental we don't notice until we have sufficient hindsight, much less expect notice from our general public.  Conscious exercise to "be not afraid" in situations that I would naturally mull and worry over has allowed me to reduce my worry and concerns and in some cases letting them go.  This is evidence my faith is deepening. 

Like all change, this doesn't happen without conscious discipline and exercise.   If you are an agent of the kingdom your faith is all ready with you.  The strength of that faith is yours to exercise daily with Bible study and prayer.  Join me in these exercises, do not be afraid.

Pictures from:
wallpaper4god.com
rpmministries.org
canadaroses.com

Our 18 Cents, from the Friday Forum

It's been a Goldfish kind of coffee Friday.  Pepperidge Farms Goldfish have so many new varieties we took two Fridays to try them out.  The first round went to: S'Mores, Vanilla Cupcake and Xtra Chocolaty.  The combined consensus of the Friday Forum: the S'Mores were novel enough to try but wouldn't get a second purchase.  The Vanilla was very similar to vanilla wafers and not unique enough to buy again.  Xtra Chocolaty, always a favorite and a definite "buy again" product.

The second round of Goldfish included: Xtra Cheesy Pizza and Mix-Up Adventures.  Cheesy Pizza got mixed reviews.  My personal was, yuck.  The mix-up was a pretzel/cheese mix which was roundly appealing.

We also threw Wrigley’s 5 React 2 gum into the mix.  N's opinion: no, don’t like the texture.  I didn't like the flavor or the black licorice look.  Others in the group found it mildly pleasing. 

Thanks again to V., our own mystery shopper, for scouting out and providing the new products.

We received a coffee suggestion and will brew a pot for next Friday, stay tuned for reviews.

 

Is there a product you like and think we should try?

pictures from:

123rf.com

tumblr.com

Happy Father's Day

I think the world of my Dad.  He has been a wonderful father throughout my childhood and adulthood.  I love him so much and wish him all the best, always.  That being said I want to pay homage on this Father's Day to my husband.

D. and I have been married 31 years waiting 12 years to welcome our only son into our lives.  L. is now 18 and heading off to college.

In a world where marriages so frequently fall apart and children are left to struggle, most often without a father, D. has been a solid rock, a firm foundation in an uncertain world.  He is a strong example of a Godly man shouldering the responsibility of the family he helped to create.

I have watched him nurture, advise, scold, comfort and give tough love to help L. grow into the upright, responsible young man that he is.  I love and respect him so much for being an active and involved part of L.'s life.

I thank God for D. and for all the other father's who take their role seriously enough to see that their children's lives are full, healthy and happy. 

God bless you all.

Pictures from:

tiptoptens.com

justclipart.org   

W00T! My First Blogger Award

Thanks to Barb over at God Whispers in My Ear for passing the Versatile Blogger Award on to me. 

7 things about me:

1.  I love to bake but cook only out of necessity.

2.  Grocery shopping is my least favorite domestic chore. 
3.  My favorite domestic chore is laundry.
4.  I love to work in the yard and be outside.
5.  I am a fan of Sonic Drive-in.
6.  I welcome birthdays.
7.  Life long learning is a must.

7 worthy bloggers to pass this award to include, but are not limited to:

Terri over at Terri Tiffany Inspirational Writer
Abby over at my MARFAlous Life
Katina over at Rae of Light
Suzanne over at Window on the Prairie
Donna over at Donna's Book Pub
Loren over at Wright's Party of Three
Peggy over at Musings of Meggie

Coffee: It's a Group Thing



 I work in a medium sized office where the support staff gathers each Friday at 10:00am for coffee, food and conversation.  In the work world you could call it Team Building, in the neighborhood you would call it a Coffee Klatch.  We brew a speciality coffee, share a tasty treat and enjoy the company of coworkers.

This particular Friday we were enjoying Starbucks Christmas blend along with homemade blueberry scones,  baked by N,  when V. came out of her office with a delightful display of chocolate candies.  She noticed that Hershey's had two new candies available, Drops and Air Delight Bars.  V. was interested but didn't want to consume all those calories herself so she split up the pieces for us all to try. 

To heighten our participation V. made cards with the nutritional information of each item so we could make informed decisions.  (We're nothing if not a health conscious crowd.)

Within all the conversation we thought it would add another element to our Friday mornings to bring new products to share, discuss and give a thumbs up or down.  We've decided to give it a try and I'll share the products and our thoughts as they arrive or give the group a guest post option to share their thoughts.

Coffee is a Friday staple, is there a speciality blend that you would recommend?

Graduation Day 2011

Last Saturday, with Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandpas and Grandmas present, D. and I watched our one and only walk across the stage to receive his High School diploma.  Ours is a motivated boy with accolades, certificates, awards and pinnings to receive, accept and attend.  The weekend was full of ceremony and celebration.

We were caught up in a whirlwind with little time to fully absorb the importance of the moment.  In a blink the cake was crumbs, the family gone, the house returned to rights and our summer schedule in full swing. 

High School graduations are a wonderful capstone to academic achievement and childhood, launching our children toward adulthood, located but a summer away. 

I look forward to the upcoming college years but I will treasure the 12 school years that culminated in celebration this past weekend.  I will place those memories along side the other treasures in my heart, to revisit and savor in the quiet moments.  Luke 2:51

Congratulations L!












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