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Howdy Sugar Pies and Happy Valentines! I’ve got some sweet things to share with you…so come on inside and let me show you how I go about romancing my home……

“Home, the spot on earth supremely blest,  a dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.” ~ Robert Montgomery

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Does this chalkboard look familiar?It gets a lot of use around my house! In December it was in my kitchen with the simple word “JoY!” and now it graces my entry with a note of love. What was once an old twin size headboard is now used to send seasonal messages of love and joy to my family.  The Chalk-Ink Markers (click here to find them) are so much fun to use and if you want my secret for the best way to wash the ink off the board CLICK HERE! I also use my creamy-white pitchers, milk-glass vases and cake stands over and over. I love things that combine function and beauty!  And you know I love me some farmhouse-white!

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Fresh Carnations from the grocery store add a burst of color on these bleak winter days!

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Tucked inside this lantern …is my vintage milk-glass candy dish  filled with Kisses….the chocolate kind and the Bride and Groom kind! This was my Wedding Cake topper! I thought it was very fitting and romantic for Valentines Day! A sweet reminder that thirty one years ago (which sounds really weird to say because I thought I WAS thirty one!)  I said “I do” to my wonderful honey,  hero and hubby.

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I was marrying a red-head but the groom figurine had yellow hair. Come to think of it I don’t think I’ve ever seen a red-headed groom on a cake decoration! Well, it was no problem! Nothing a little orange paint couldn’t fix!  Little did we know then we would have two red-headed little girls and two brown-haired boys! What a blessing!

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A candy-sweet  bouquet….just simple little lolli-pops from Walmart!

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The Vintage lamp post was made from an old outdoor lantern that was fitted onto a chippy painted front porch post.   I found it  last year at an antique store in Ozark Mo. I really think lamp-light creates such a cozy glow and a feeling of warmth to our home.

“Candle light, moon light, star light. The brightest glow is from love-light.” ~Grey Livingston

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It’s been said “Home is where the heart is”, and I do believe that is true. Home is the place where we should feel loved and cherished….. and Valentines Day is a great reminder to do just that. The Word of God says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21. I know for myself I have a tendency to get a little too busy with things….good things…but I get immersed in a project and it isn’t until my hubby half-jokingly says “Hey remember me?”.  OoPs-a-DaiSy! It’s moments like those that I re-adjust my priorities and put them in proper balance. I want my hubby to know that I treasure him, value him, appreciate him, am proud of him, love him! But if I’m always scurrying around doing my own things paying no attention to him,  how will he feel treasured?

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I decided that my evenings are to be spent with my husband and family…..not working on a project or at the computer blogging or surfing the Internet. As much as I LoVe, LoVe, LOVE blogging and reading all the fabulous blogs and web sites that are available out there, I have to put a limit on my time devoted to that. Seriously, I could spend hours on the Net …it’s that fascinating to me!  But that would not be wise or fruitful. There are people to love and feed and a home to take care of! That’s why my blog- posts are usually every other week, it’s because I need to treasure my family and take care of my home. As you know my blog is about happy homemaking….well what kind of a homemaker would I be if I neglected my family and home? If I’m gonna talk the talk, I’ve got to walk the walk.

I just know that when my hubby is happy, I am happy. Thankfully, we read the book The Five Love Languages together in our church small-group fellowship last year. I learned so much from that book and more importantly what my honey’s Love Language was.

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Your Love Language is what makes you feel loved.  Some people need praise  other people need more physical touch, hand holding…hugs etc. The Five Love Languages are: Words of  affirmation, quality time, acts of service, receiving gifts and physical touch. In the book the author provides a short little-Ol’  test to discover what your love language is….what makes you  and your spouse feel the most loved. Once you know this vital information then you will be better equipped to build a happier marriage.

You may be going around feeling unappreciated. If that’s the case then perhaps your Love Language is Words of Affirmation, and your heart’s “Love Tank” as the author puts it, needs filling.  You may be keeping the house clean, and fixing delicious, nutritious dinners every night to show your love to your hubby but if his Love Language is Physical Touch then his Love Tank feels empty. In this scenario it’s a merry-go-round of empty love tanks.  This book can change your marriage! Click here to check it out.

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It’s also available in Audio form to listen in the car in case you or your honey does not have time to read. Click here to check it out.

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Here’s a book my dear friend told me about. Have A New Husband By Friday! Dr. Kevin Leman writes in a very down to earth style with lots of humor, so it’s easy reading with great benefits. Dr. Leman says “you can change your husband’s attitude, behavior, and communication  in just 5 days.”  My friend said she saw changes in her hubby in just a few days! Gals there are so many tools out there to help us have happier, sweeter marriages, we need to take advantage of them!

The grass is greenest where you water it. ~Mitch Temple

These are just a few ideas and resources  to help you romance your home and now here is a recipe to romance your sweet tooth….

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Sweet ‘n’ Dreamy Cream Puffs!

I usually make these at least once a year at Christmas…if I made them more often I would eat  so much of them I would turn into a cream puff! But they sure are yummy on special occasions!  The great thing is once you make the pastry puffs you can fill them with all kinds of mouth-watering goodness…fresh strawberries, fresh sliced peaches, and ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce! We like them filled with easy vanilla pudding and then sprinkled with powdered sugar.

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Start by getting your filling made then chill in the frige while you are making the pastry. Just a box of instant vanilla pudding and 3 cups of milk…..

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Beat for 2 minutes then chill….easy peasy!

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The ingredients are simple to make the pastry puffs…just eggs, butter, sugar, salt, water and flour….

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Heat the water, butter, salt, sugar until it boils….

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Then, add the flour….

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Stir until it forms a ball. Let it cool a few minutes ( I take that time to clean up my mess), then transfer the  pastry to your electric mixer.

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Add your eggs one at a time while mixing the pastry at medium speed….

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It will look goopy like this…keep mixing…

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Until it looks like this…smooth and thick….

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Cover your cookie sheet with parchment paper and with a tablespoon drop dollops of the pastry onto the sheet 2 inches apart…

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Bake! 35-40 minutes later…golden brown puffs!

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With a sharp knife, split the puff in half and fill with the pudding…

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Sprinkle with powdered sugar and get ready to have a party in your mouth!

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Aunt Ruthie’s Cream Puffs

Filling First: Decide on your filling and prepare that. Keep it chilled until your puffs are ready.

For the Pastry Puff Shells:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees

1 cup water

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (you can use salted butter, but then omit the salt)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter leave this out)

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 eggs ( 3 whole eggs and one egg white)

In a medium size pan combine WATER, BUTTER, SUGAR, SALT.  At medium-hi heat , bring to a boil. Lower temperature to low and add flour. Stir the mixture until it forms a ball. Transfer the pastry to your mixing bowl…LET IT COOL. (while cooling, clean up). Once cooled (10 minutes) turn on the mixer and add one egg at a time ( I always crack my eggs into a separate bowl so I don’t get little shell pieces in  the batter). The batter will be goopy…keep beating the pastry until it is smooth and thick. Then using a tablespoon drop mounds  of the dough onto a parchment lined sheet. (you can use a pastry bag, but this way is easier and turns out just fine.) Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then lower the temp to 350 and bake for 25 minutes more. They should be golden brown and crisp. Once cooled, split in half with a serrated knife. If there is a lot of excess  moist dough inside you can pull that out and discard or you can put the split puffs back in the oven  –at 350– and let them dry out in the heat  for 5 minutes. Fill with sweet goodness, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

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Well Sugar Pies, be sure to let your honey know that you treasure him in the way that he feels loved….family-love

And keep on cherishing your babies (even if they are all grown up)  and fill up their “love tanks” too!

Dear Lord, please help me to remember to take the time to bestow the kisses today that I want loved ones to remember tomorrow. ~ Jennifer Thomas

Thank you Sugar Pie Sistas for filling my “love tank” with all of your heartwarming comments….I am so very thankful that you take the time to  share your thoughts with me!

Happy Valentines Day!

God Bless you!

Lots of love and hugs!

Aunt Ruthie

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