When I was growing up, all the relatives would meet at my grandparents’ house for the holidays. My grandmother, mother, and aunts would cook the most delicious homemade dinners. The highlight of every dinner was my grandmother’s rolls. They were so delicious, and everyone ate several…they were that good! I still remember how light and delicate they were. My grandmother passed away many years ago, but I still have her recipe for “Dry Yeast Rolls” written in her handwriting. I would like to share it with you:

DRY YEAST ROLLS: *2 pkg dry yeast *2 cups lukewarm water *1/2 cup sugar *6 1/2 cups flour sifted with 2 tsp salt *1 egg *1/4 cup vegetable oil In mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar. Add half the flour and salt mixture and beat for 2 minutes. Add beaten egg and vegetable oil. Stir well. Add rest of flour mixture and mix well. Grease top of mixture, cover, and put in warm place till double in bulk. Work down, turn out on floured board, and make into rolls. Let rise. Bake at 400 F. This makes 4 dozen rolls. To make 2 dozen rolls, cut all ingredients in half except the egg. Use 1 egg for half the recipe.

I have a 30 year old stand mixer which I’ve used many times through the years. There are a couple of things I wish it had, though, that the Eclectrics® Mixer has such as a splatter shield that would keep the flour from getting all over the counter. The Hamilton Beach® Mixer also has a handle on the side which I really like. My stand mixer, however, does not have one, and I wish it did. It’s so much easier handling the bowl if it does have a handle, especially if your hands are a little damp. I you are looking to buy a stand mixer then I suggest that you check out the Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer .

My husband has several interests, so it’s just a matter of deciding on one of them for a Christmas gift. He works a lot on the computer so some computer accessories or maybe a gift card from a computer store might be nice. He’s also really into music and plays the guitar and violin, so some accessories along that line would be great, too. Or I could get him some tools. He has a large tool chest and likes to have the right tool for the job. Some body shop supplies to add to his tool chest would be something he would like as well.  There’s still 50 + shopping days until Christmas, so I have time to think some more about his gift between now and then.

Good marriages don’t just happen. They require commitment and determination. They require giving 100%. Couples need to think of themselves as a team. A football team works together, and even though there are different positions, they have a common goal. That’s the way it should be for a couple…a goal to make their marriage work. And it does take work in the sense of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the marriage and working on strengthening the weak areas. Couples must take time to do this and not forget the things that brought them together in the first place. Friendship needs to be kept alive. They need to go out on dates, keep fun in their marriage, and remember all the good things about their spouse that attracted them in the first place. Anything worthwhile in our lives requires commitment, and marriage is definitely worth it! And it’s definitely worth praying about and asking God to bless our marriage and help us be the kind of spouses we should be!

Everyone has to deal with finances, personal and maybe on the job. That’s part of life, a part that can get old from time to time. Everyone has their own way of handling finances and budgeting, but sometimes they might need some budgeting software. I have three friends who work in accounting, and my dad used to be an accountant. That is tedious work and far from being a school teacher like I have been. I think if I were an accountant, I would want all the software I could get to make the job easier!

If you are wanting a neat Christmas gift for someone who is crazy about their dog or cat, then check out pet supplies online.  They have Monopoly Cat Lover’s Edition and Monopoly Dog Lover’s Edition as well as a great selection of Christmas items.  And they also have discount supplies for the day-to-day needs of pets.  The Jeffers family has been providing discount supplies and vaccines for pet and livestock owners since 1975.  Through their online service, they are also dedicated to providing the best selection, the best discount, and the best customer service available anywhere.

I have three watches, none of which are working at the time due to the fact they all need batteries.  I have my favorite one with mostly silver and a little gold which I usually wear all the time.  It will be first in line to receive a new battery.  I have a gold dress watch that I rarely wear because it’s too dressy.  And I have a fun little watch that goes especially well with a certain shirt.  (The shirt and watch were a gift from our daughter and s-i-l.)   If I were ever to get a new watch, I would truly consider getting a watch that could be read at night. Luminox watches are just that type of watch.  I used to have a watch many years ago that could be seen at night, and I really liked it a lot!

I feel sorry for people who have variable rate mortgages. Interest rates are rising which may make it hard for some of them to make their house payment. And then I know a lot of people qualify for more of a home loan than they can truly afford. They might get the house of their dreams, only to find that making the house payment becomes very difficult if their situation changes or mortgage rates go up. There are people who can’t pay their mortgages, and they risk losing their homes due to foreclosure. I really think banks should rethink the amount for which they allow people to qualify. They would truly be helping people if they made the requirements for a loan more stringent. So what can people do who are caught in a bind? If the have poor credit, they could consider poor credit remortgage. For those who want protection for the future, they might consider mortgage protection.

Insurance is a must for every family, especially if there are children. We don’t like to think about the unexpected loss of a family member due to an accident, but things like that happen. We have some friends who experienced this very thing. The husband was killed instantly at work by a heavy piece of machinery. If he hadn’t had life insurance, his family would be having a really hard time right now. But thanks to his foresight and planning, his family is taken care of and doesn’t lack anything. If you don’t have family insurance, check into it and see what would work for you.

Everyone always looks forward to payday. I know when I taught school, we always brought food on that day and had what we called “Payday Luncheon.” But sometimes things can happen before payday comes around. Sometimes things happen such as a needed car repair or some unexpected thing that needs to be fixed immediately. Or maybe there’s some other reason. Someone can apply for a payday loan online, and the great thing is they can have the money wired quickly to their checking account. The requirements are easy, the loan application is secure, and it is processed instantly. This is great to know in case of an emergency!

Firefox is a free web browser. If you don’t have it, I recommend that you download it on your computer. It has two great add-ons that you can download for free called “Search Status” and “Sparky.” I highly recommend both of these which were recommended to me by someone I know very well.  They’re especially good to have if you blog or if you visit other blogs.

We had our own business for a few years. There was so much to learn about starting our own business, though.

Have you ever thought about starting your own business? There are certain requirements that must be met for setting up a corporation. The IRS has certain things they require. Even if it’s just a one person company, there have to be shareholder meetings and records kept of the company minutes from those meetings. Bylaws and an Operating Agreement have to be created.   It all sounds so complicated, but the nevada corporation can make things a lot easier.  They offer free forms.  And they can prepare the whole set of documents for only $20-$25.   One thing that is a must is a tax ID number.  They offer tax id forms to apply for a number, or they can get the actual tax id number for their client for only $25.  If someone needs a corporate kit, they probably have the lowest price available. They also have a FAQ section to learn difference between LLC and Corporation, etc.  If you are planning to start your own business or are already in the process of starting your business, then I hope this information will be helpful.

Target is recalling baby rattles for the second time this year. The first recall of 460,000 plush baby rattles was January 18. These rattles had small pieces that could break off and become a choking hazzard. Yesterday they recalled 82,000 plush rattles with sports themes also because of a choking hazzard. These rattles were made in China. (recalls from China are beginning to sound like a broken record) There have been no reported injuries, but these rattles are filled with beads and can break open. In both recalls, there were no reports of choking occuring. I’m glad Target and other companies stay on top of things and recall items before an injury occurs.