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Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year 2011!!!!


HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!!  I pray we all have a blessed & wonderful year!!!!!

Pretzel SOS!!!!

I TRIED to make homemade pretzels!!  I REALLY REALLY wanted some for New Years Eve!!!  I SEARCHED & SEARCHED to find a good recipe......the one I got IS NOT IT!!  They were way to dry!!  Not good at all!!!

I even looked thru my bread machine cookbook....found 2 recipes....they called for a Dutch Oven (I guess to make them moist @ the end), don't have a Dutch Oven so those were out!!!!!

So I'm sending out a Pretzel SOS!!!  Got any good recipes....cuz I really really want some homemade pretzels!!!!!!



And in the mean time.......I'll be taking a cue from Hoss.....and hiding my face!!!!

Casserole Pictures

Here are some pictures of the Farmhouse Beef Casserole!!!!  You really need to try it!!!!!  It was really really good!!!!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Farmhouse Beef Casserole

I found this the other day on line & it's what we are gonna have for dinner tonight.  Sounds YUMMY!!!!

1 small 4 oz potato
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pd ground sirloin
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 T chili powder
2 c green cabbage shredded
1 to 3 T taco sauce

Preheat oven to 375 Lightly spray 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
Peel & grate the potato into a bowl. Stir in 1/4 c of cheese.  Spread evenly over the bottom of casserole dish.  Bake 15-20 mins til potato is browned & crispy.
Meanwhile brown ground sirloin, onion & garlic in nonstick skillet beaking up the beef with a wooden spoon as it browns.  Discard any fat.  Stir in tomatoes with their juice, chili powder & cabbage.  Season with pepper to taste. Saute stirring for a min or 2.  If mixture seems too dry you can add the taco sauce as needed.
When potatoes are done spoon beef mixture on the top of potates.  Top with remaining cheese. You can add some jalapeno slices here if you want.  Bake 25-30 mins til casserole is hot & bubbly.

This, a salad & maybe some cornbread is what we are dining on tonight!!! =)

How about you???

Monday, December 27, 2010

Menu

I started next weeks menu & I realized I hadn't even posted this weeks menu!!!  Land sakes I'm slacking!!!!!

Monday....Leftovers
Tuesday....Leftovers
Wednesday.....Out cuz of church
Thursday....Farmhouse Beef Casserole
Friday.....Munchies cuz it's New Years Eve
Saturday.....Hog Jawl, mashed taters, collared greens, blackeyed peas
Sunday......Beef Stew & Cornbread

Today....

So today due to the snow......me & Hoss are working from home today.  And it just happens to be DH's day off too.....but here is the kicker.....he's off to hang out with the guys.  On his days off him & his brothers hang out & do whatever!!!!!!!  Which is kinda sad cuz guess what.....on my days off I'm cleaning house, working, bringing in wood or shopping or wearing Hoss out....I have no one to hang out with & goof off with. 

So enough of the pity party....I'm off to do alittle work & clean the kitchen while DH is off goofing off!!!!  Me & Hoss might even go play in the snow for awhile!!!!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

White Christmas

This year for Christmas for the first time in lots of years we got a white Christmas!!!!  I'm not sure who was more excited.....me or Hoss!!!  He played ALL DAY in the snow!!!!!

And at last count we got like 7-8 inches at our house....but more fell over nite so I honestly don't know what the final total was.

Rest assured....NOTHING stops us from deep frying a turkey!!!  Snow....ha that's why we have a carport!!!! LOL!!!





Merry White CHRISTmas everyone!!!!


Peanut Butter Pie

This is Peanut Butter Pie Goodness!!!  DH says a piece of this and a glass of milk makes the angels sing......I don't like milk so I'm just good with them singing with a piece pie & a glass of water.

1 c peanut butter
1 8 oz package of cream cheese softened
1/2 c sugar
2 12oz container of frozen whipped topping thawed
1 graham cracker crust (you could use the chocolate pie crust if you wanted...my store never has them so I just use graham cracker)
1 jar of Hot Fudge Ice Cream topping


*Beat together peanut butter, cream cheese & sugar w/mixer until well combined.  Mix in 3 cups of whipped topping til combined.  Spoon mixture into pie crust smoothing to edges of pie.

* Microwave fudge topping til warm, pour on top of pie.  Refrigerate til set.  Top with about 2 cups whipped topping.  But be careful you don't mix the topping & the fudge up.

*Refrigerate til ready to serve!!!

ENJOY!!!!!!!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Apple Dapple Cake

I know you want some Apple Dapple Cake.  Thanks to one of DH's coworkers we are now hooked on it!!!!

Cake....
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 c oil
Combine & mix well
Add 1 tsp vanilla
add 3 c sifted self-rising flour
3 cups chopped apples
1 cup chopped pecans

Pour in pan & bake @ 350 for 1 hour



Topping....
1 c brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 c evaporated milk

Bring to boil for 2 mins


Pour over hot cake!!!!

ENJOY!!!!!


Merry CHRISTmas

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

"........and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is being interpreted is, God with us."

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!!!  I'm so thankful you came to earth to save me. 

Friday, December 24, 2010

My kitchen....

My kitchen worked very very hard last night.......

It made........

For dinner we had Sausage, Cabbage & taters!!! YUMMY!!

Then for DH's work & my wonderful neighbors.....

AppleDapple Cake



Caramel Apple Cookies



Peanut Butter Balls


Ritz w/peanut butter dipped in chocolate


and Peanut Butter Pie

After all that I could use Brody the Elf to come visit my house & clean everything up!!!!  My cousin has this wonderful Elf that cleans the kitchen up while everyone is asleep!!!!!!

So now me & Hoss are being lazy for a few extra minutes!!!  Cuz that wore us out!!!!
















Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Scentsy Warmers

Have you ever wondered what a Scentsy Warmer is & how you use that great little bar of wax you got???? Here ya go.....


Cheesecake Yumminess

So I'm just here to tell you that my DH is the bestest!!!  AND I'll keep him around.....why you ask?????  Cuz he knows people that make this WONDERFUL, MAGNIFICIENT, wipe the drool of your chin cheesecake!!!!!  Can you see where I was munching on it????  The fork indentions are there to prove it!!!!!!

Now while I was eating the yummy goodness, Hoss was doing this.............






Which would be staring at me wishing he could eat some of it!!!  And DH was doing this.....






cuz he works very hard !!!!  So we'll just let him snooze while I go eat another piece of cheesecake!!!!  And I just might finish it off with ohhhhhhh another piece before lunch!!!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Menu List

Here is our menu list in our family planner.  I've got  BUNCHES of copies and when I finish one week, I'll put it in the very back.  That way I can see what we've had over the past few weeks cuz my strawberry blonde mind can't remember what I ate 2 days ago much less last week.  Also in this section is one of the clear pocket holder thingys that I put any recipes that I find that I think we would like to try.

Oh and by looking at this picture I think I might need some gas.  I was sitting in the car wash & figured why not snap a picture or two of the planner for you guys while I'm watching the foam rinse off of the car.  I didn't realize you guys were gonna see that my gas hand was getting close to E too!!!!  LOL!!!!!

Grocery List Page

A few of you have asked for what is inside our family planner.  Figured I'd pick a section & show you......

Here is the grocery list page.  I write down things thru out the week that we need and in the section right after it is our meal plan.......so as I'm planning the meals with whatever is on sale this week I just add things to the grocery list.  And when I go to the store I attatch the coupons to the left side & just have my 3 ring binder right there and mark things off as I get them.




I'll show you the menu list tomorrow.  There is also a list for household & work things that need done thru the week. 

Monday, December 20, 2010

Shoes

So here are the shoes that DH laughs at...........





He says they are my hooker shoes!!! LOL!!!  But they are soooooooooooooooo cute how can I not wear them!!!!!!  They even have a little bow on the top of them!!!  They are very very very comfy!!!!!!  MY FAV!!!!!!!

PB Cups

I promised you pictures of the PB Cups we made this weekend.........



And the cookies we made......




And we are working on an Apple Dapple cake now...it's in the oven as we speak. 


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Soda Stream

Well I did it the other day......I broke down and bought a Soda Stream!!!  You see this house can't make it without our soda.  And we needed to find SOMETHING that a...was cheaper than regular soda & b.....was alittle better for us.  And Soda Stream is it!!!




What's a Soda Stream you ask?  This little bad boy turns regular tab water into sparkling water in no time at all!!!!  You fill the bottle with water, attach it to the soda maker, which has a CO2 cylinder attatched to it,  press the little button 2-3 times & BAM you've got sparkling water.  THEN choose what soda flavor you want......and you've got soda.  DH said the Diet Rootbeer tastes just like Regular Rootbeer.  And I had the Energy drink Saturday......LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!  This one is the Fountain Mist (cuz I forgot to take a picture of the Energy one...Sorry!!!)



We got the Genesis Starter Pak....which included the maker, a CO2 cylinder, 2 empty bottles, a sample pak of different soda flavorings AND a sample of 3 of the different My Water flavorings.  We used one of the coupons to Bed Bath & Beyond that one of my TERRIFIC friends gave me and we spent less that $85 on it.  =) =) AND if you figure that a 2 litter of soda cost around $1.50 and we drink probably anywhere from 10-12 a week between the 2 of us.........that's atleast $15 a week we are saving.  PLUS there won't be as much in our plastic recyle bag now....cuz the drink mix bottles are mega small!!!!! One of them makes the equivalent of 12 litters of soda!!!  Our pocketbook & the landfills are gonna be happy!!!!



Plus look at the label for the Diet Soda..............and let me let you in on a little secret.....it's made with Splenda instead of that Aspartame junk!!!! 

And I just found online a page full of drink recipes which I'm VERY VERY excited about!!!!

You gotta try this out!!!  It's WONDERFUL!!!  And we are super happy we have one!!!!  If you want to come over, I'll make ya a Fruit Fizz or a Rootbeer Float & you'll be in LOVE to!!!!!!


Friday, December 17, 2010

Chocolate Yumminess!!

So today I'm gonna tease you & share with you this GREAT recipe I got over at Hoosier Homemade for Homemade Peanut Butter cups!!!

Peanut Butter Cup Recipe:







1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, divided


4 1/2 teaspoons butter, softened


1/2 cup Confectioners’ (powdered) Sugar


1/2 teaspoon Salt


2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips (I used Milk Chocolate)


4 Milk Chocolate Candy Bars (1.55 ounces each), coarsely chopped (I used Hershey’s)


Colored sprinkles, optional


Directions:






Fill mini muffin tins with mini paper liners.






In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter and confectioners sugar and salt until smooth, set aside.






In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter, stir until smooth. (this usually takes about 2 minutes)






Drop a teaspoonful of chocolate mixture into paper liners. Top each with a scant teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture (I rolled mine into small balls)






Top each with chocolate mixture to cover. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until set.


We made them last night.  Along with homemade applesauce.  Ohhhhh and some cookies.  And tonight is the crackers, peanut butter, chocolate thingys.  I know there is a name for them......I just have no idea what it is.  So I figured I'd share the recipe with you today......and tomorrow let you drool over some pictures!!!!!

And on a side note.......Hoss didn't get any of them but he did find out that some boiled chicken chopped up in his food is about the best thing next to Dingos!!!!! LOL!!!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Menu 12/20

Yeppers I'm a week ahead in making my menus out!!!!  And I swear it's all because of my planner thingy (more to come on that later this weekend)!!!!!

Here is our menu for next week......

Monday:Spaghetti, Salad & bread
Tuesday:Chicken Fajitas, chips & cheese
Wednesday:Out to eat (it's way easier with going to church almost right when I get home from work)
Thursday:Cabbage, tater & sausage casserole
Friday:Our traditional Munchie night
Saturday:CHRISTmas
Sunday:Leftovers

I went thru the sales papers for this week & planned out the menu!!!

Enjoy!!!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Rudolph

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!



Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Ohhhhhh how sad!!!!

So I'm talking to one of my GREAT customers/friends a few mins ago and she says.....Hey did they tell you what I put on your work's FB page about you!!!????  I told her no and felt like a total heel!!!!  So I go to the FB page and see this posted on 10/29

         "Dear *******...I just want you to know that Alicia has been my insurance go to person at your office for years and she rocks....She's amazing. I think she deserves a huge raise and a big Christmas bonus because she takes great care of her cutomers!:)



October 29 at 8:37pm · View Feedback (1)Hide Feedback (1)"
 
And I was NEVER told.  How sad is that!!!???  And how bad do I feel that I had to be told by my customer that she did something sweet for me ALMOST 2 MONTHS AGO!!!????
 
So I'm suggesting to all you bosses out there.........please make sure to tell your employees about any praise items they get.  It will do WONDERS for their attitude & make them feel wonderful.  PLUS it will stop them from wondering things like.....ummmmmmm is the grass greenier on the other side???  THANK YOU!!!!!

Monday, December 13, 2010

The Weather Channel




This is what our weather looks like!!!!  Yeah it's fun fun fun here.  Ever wonder how to keep your house warm with temperatures @ 17 feels like -2???  If you figure out.....please let me know.  Oh and how do you explain to a dog that it's -2 outside.....we CAN'T walk our mile long walk tonight?????

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Snow..

So at 5:30 this morning here is what it looked like in Hoss's World.......



And here is it at 8:00 am........






It's looking like this December is gonna be just like last December.....snow every weekend!!!! YEAH!!!!!!

Friday, December 10, 2010

To Much Thinkin!!!!!


That's my BIL.....he looks like he is picking his nose but really he is in deep conversation!!!!  Thinkin way to much!!!!!

I've been doing alot of that lately!!!  Then tonight I found this entry over at Proverbs 31 Ministries about overthinking!!!  You need to check it out!!!

"“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.



Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”


Philippians 4:6 (NLT)...........Paul gives three clear instructions for those of us who ruminate on our problems. He says:


1) do not worry about anything


2) pray about everything


3) thank God for everything"





So after all the craziness today, the doctors, the nurses, the biopsy, Hoss going crazy, getting things ready for a craft show tomorrow, a DH who needs just alittle bit of nurse Alecia cuz he's alittle sore, laundry needing to be done, dinner, etc etc etc  I need to stop worrying about everything & take a few mins out of the day to say THANK YOU to my wonderful Lord & Savior for this GREAT day he has given me.  HE has given me the gift of a warm, sunshine day!!!  We had blue sky here.....and it wasn't -20 outside.  HE allowed me to bring my DH home and gave me the chance to visit with a 2 great friends tonight before my massage. 

So now I'm ignoring the laundry & dishes and gonna go read some of my scriptures and thank HIM!!!!!!


White Christmas

The way it's looking this weekend is going to be another with snow & 26 degree temps here......so I'm thinking that this dream might come a reality!!!!!!



Thursday, December 9, 2010

Learning To Submit





I just LOVE LOVE LOVE her!!!!!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Developing a Home Planning Notebook/Organizer



I found this the other day online.  I'm working on mine as we speak now!!!!!!  =)

A present A present!!!!!

Granna & Bop sent us a present.......and Hoss LOVED the box.......




Dear Granna & Bop.......can you PLEASE send another box????