Randomness

Hamburger Buddy

Here's dinner from the other night.  It was ok.....I forgot to take a picture for ya.  Sorry!!!!

3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled



2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces


10 ounces white mushrooms, large ones cut in half


1 large onion, cut into 2-inch pieces


1 pound 90%-lean ground beef


2 teaspoons dried thyme


3/4 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


2 cups water


1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth, divided


8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles (2 cups)


2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream


1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish




Fit a food processor with the steel blade attachment. With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube and process until minced, then add carrots and mushrooms and process until finely chopped. Turn it off, add onion, and pulse until roughly chopped.


Cook beef in a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped vegetables, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften and the mushrooms release their juices, 5 to 7 minutes.


Stir in water, 1 1/2 cups broth, noodles and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.


Whisk flour with the remaining 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl until smooth; stir into the hamburger mixture. Stir in the sour cream. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley (or chives), if desired.


 
Next time I make it I'm gonna leave the mushrooms whole & at the end add a can of cream of mushroom soup with the sour cream. 
 
Hope you enjoy!!!!!
 
 

 
 
Hoss had a GREAT day yesterday.  He got to go errand running with mommy yesterday morning.  We went to The Biltmore House and he got to play there for like an hour & half.  Then we went & did mommy's normal Saturday running around.  As you can tell he was pretty tuckered out!!!!!

Date Day

We went to brunch the other day at the Biltmore House.  And goofed off on the grounds.  Ok I shouldn't say goofed off cuz it was COLD!!!! I should say hung out in the warm car just chillaxin on the grounds!!! Yeah that sounds way way better!!!! 

It was brunch time for the horses & the hawk that was there too!!!  

Coffe-Mate Cafe Party

Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh did I tell you that I WON the Coffee-Mate Cafe Party package the other day!!!  I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited cuz Mrs. UPS lady will be delevering it today.  What all is gonna be in my package......

"NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Piccolo machine and coffee capsules to use and as a gift for the office



Office mouse and photo pad to add flavor to your desk space


“Flavor” Name Tags and Office Award Ribbons


Napkins and cups


Coupons for free COFFEE-MATE® to serve at you event


NESCAFÉ® TASTER’S CHOICE® coffee samples to share with your co-workers"

I MIGHT just have to take the Dolce Gusto Piccolo machine home to test it out before I decide if I want to leave it here at work or not.  This could be a very very bad thing.  I'm gonna be sooooooooooooooo hyped up today considering I already have had 2 cups of coffee, working on an energy drink (that I made from my Soda Stream) PLUS since it's cold & rainy (and supposed to snow YEAH) today I brought extra coffee with me to warm up.....then go home & make more coffee!!!! LOL poor DH could be in for alittle craziness tonight!!!!

Women Living Well Blog: What Sundays Were Like In the 1950's

This morning as I'm sitting behind my desk there are LOTS of things on my mind.  They range anywhere from man it's gonna rain to my wonderful hubby to how much fun we had this weekend & last night to getting back to the basics in my life.  And as I'm reading over some of my FAV blogs I see this entry.  Courtney has hit the nail on the head.  Now  I am SOOOOOO with her....don't really want to go back and live in the 1950's but I truly think if we started applying some of the principles & way of life that they did in the 50's our culture & personally lives would be so much different.  So that's my goal for the next 2 weeks......IF I can continually strive to live like this & pattern my life after the 1950's woman I can make a difference in my home, in my personal life & in my attitude. 

Hope you enjoy!!!!


Women Living Well Blog: What Sundays Were Like In the 1950's: "On the Rachael Ray Show I was dubbed a '1950's Wife'. But my grandmother (pictured above), a mother of 4 (one baby is not born yet in this ..."

Menu Time again

Can you believe it's the start of ANOTHER week!!????  Man time is flying!!!  Here is our menu plan for this week....

Monday....Bratwurst
Tuesday....Pickup night
Wednesday....Pickup night
Thursday....Ham Steaks
Friday...Salmon & Shrimp
Saturday....Hamburger Buddy (I posted the receipe on FB...hope it's good!!!!)
Sunday...Chicken Pot Pie


What's Pickup Night.........it's when we have crazy night schedules & we just pick something up on our way from here to there to there & back to here..

I really didn't think this menu planning would be this fun.  I'm actually working a few weeks ahead & am finding all kinds of receipes on line.  I try to share with you the good ones.......the ones that don't turn out so good......they get throwed in the fireplace!! LOL!!!!

Valentines Goodies

I've been busy this weekend putting together Valentines goodies with some of my Scentsy products.  Giving everyone ideas for their loved ones or themselves.....cuz if I didn't have the stuffed frog already.....it would be on my list!!!

If you are interested in any of them.....let me know.  Happy early Valentines everyone!!!!

My reminder for the day....

I slipped today!!!  Not slipped on ice or anything wet....that was the other day & I have a bruise on the rump to prove it.  No today I slipped backwards & received a big stone thrown from above slap upside the head!!! 

So here is my reminder for the day.....It's for me personally....but if you need a reminder too today you are more than welcome to use it!!!

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Hoss he really doesn't care about my reminder.....he's wore out cuz he played with his uncles & cousins tonight PLUS saw an adorable little baby for the first time.....and scared the cutie cuz of course he barked at him.  Then couldn't understand why we didn't let him lick & love all over the baby!!!!  It was all enough to wear Hoss out & send him to bed early!!!!

Templates

So one of my very sweet friends asked me this morning for the Menu Planner Template I use......I bet she thinks I forgot.  But I didn't......just got around to it.

If you'll go here this is a great one to use.  And IF I was good I'd go here to get a monthly planner....but trust me I just go week by week.

And here is an Emergency Phone List I found to that was pretty cool.  I thought everyone with kids might enjoy printing this off & putting it on the fridge.

And this Daily To Do List is AWESOME!!!!!!


Hope this helps out. 

Dinner Tonight

Did you go here alittle over a year ago & find out how to make these easy pleasy Philly Cheesesteak Subs???  I'm tellin ya they are the BOMB!!!! 

And just to let you know something alittle funny.......today is 1/20 & for dinner we had the Philly Cheesesteak Subs & homemade soup...........and 1/7/10 we had the same subs & homemade soup!!!  Alittle over a year to date the same meal!!!  And what's sad is that I haven't had either since 1/7/10!!!!  Must remember to make this more often!!!!!

Hope ya enjoy!!!!!!

Why I LOVE this little jewel.....

I'd like to take a moment to introduce to you my FAVORITE coffee cup!!!!  If I lost this little jewel I'd probably cry for days & wear black for atleast 6 months!!!!! 

Why do I LOVE this little cup???? 

1)Dude it's metal....keeps my coffee warmish hot for HOURS!!!!

2)See that little lid beside it.......you lock that bad boy closed and it wouldn't spill anything even if it was in a tornado!!!  And that's a good thing cuz look who the cup has to deal with.............

Yeah that's Hoss telling me to hurry up he is ready to go on his walk......and if I don't hurry he is gonna pounce on me!!!!

3) It's that cool purple color!!!!  I take it to my Scentsy parties cuz of the color....and people think it's from Scentsy and it's not.

and last but not least.....

4) when you get up at 12:45 AM cuz above dog wants out and won't go back to sleep til 1:30 AM on your bed so you have to sleep on the couch......then up again at 2:30 AM cuz your DH is crazy and then AGAIN at 5:30 AM cuz you have to send DH off to work & get the laundry started, take the dog for a walk, run by & drop off a present for your great nephews & nieces (yeah I have GREAT nephews & nieces......I feel so old!!!). My WONDERFUL cup holds my coffee with such care & love even if it is my 2 full cup cuz heaven knows that I need some ump today!!!!! 

And now I am at my last stop for awhile......and am still drinking from said jewel!!!!

PS. It's a Starbucks cup!! and no Starbucks didn't send it to me cuz they love me....really they don't know who I am.  I bought it probably 4 years ago!!!!

A gift

To whoever was the kind person or persons that left this on our porch!!!  Thank you!!!!  DH is getting a kick out of it!!!!

pssstttttt...please ignore the stuff on the table.....it's what happens when I have the idea to take a picture of something in the middle of dinner/cleaning out my daily go to work bag!!!!! THANKS!!!!!

And the cool thing is that when you push the little Try Me button........It opens up & plays music!!!  We are enjoying it!!!  Thanks again!!!

Today......

Today is Monday!!!!  I dealt with zoo people, people ignoring me right to my face, going to a Scentsy Open House for one of my GREAT team members, snow, taking a wrong turn & having to reschedule for one of my customers, freezing rain, soggy hotdogs, leaking shower heads, texting from a phone that I hate, ice, laundry, carrying wood in for the heater, getting my feelings hurt, learning that my skin isn't to thick, a DH that makes me smile, kisses that seem sweeter & sweeter everytime I get them!!!!  It's been a GREAT day!!!  I'm just thankful that we are all here in our house safely & that I get to lay down on my pillows tonight snuggled up under the covers with DH & the Hosser!!!! 

Hope you had a wonderful uneventful Monday!!!!!

Chicken-n-Noodles

Did you go here and check out the Chicken-n-Noodles?????  You need to cuz I PROMISE you....you won't be sorry!!!!  They are REALLY REALLY good!!!!

P.S.........Please don't judge the fact that EVERY food picture is on styrofoam plates!!!!  Here in Hoss's World mom HATES doing dishes!!!!!!

My sugar rush....

The upside of my wonderful cupcakes was the sugar rush that they produced.  Considering I HAD to taste test the creamcheese/powdered sugar inside & then HAD to taste test the icing!!!!!  The downside was the 2 pounds I know I have put on cuz I've eaten probably 3 or 4 yesterday & then atleast 2 today!!!

BUT DH did enjoy the sugar rush they gave me last night......when he got home from work this is what dinner was.......

Boiled shrimp, salad, Steak, greens & a baked potato.  All made within like an hour!!!!!  Plus had a rip roaring fire going & had most of the kitchen cleaned up!!!!! 

And had worked on wearing Hoss out!!!!!!  I'm thinking might have to have a sugar rush EVERY WEEKEND!!!!!  What do you think!!!??????

I'll Share....

Thought I'd share my cupcakes with all my friends........

Better get a glass of milk....cuz you'll need it!!!!

ENJOY!!!!!

Facebook Friday!!!!!!

How exciting I'm number 53!!!!!! YEAH!!!  One of my goals for this year is to increase my followers both here on the blog & on my Scentsy Facebook Page & steadily I've been working on both of them!!!  And then my AWESOME friend over at Bless Others With Cards put up this awesome link & here we go!!!!!  So stop in and visit everyone.....make sure you check out my Facebook page & leave me a note that you stopped by!!!  I'll return the favor & give you a shout out to all my great followers!!!!



The rules are simple:



1. Add your facebook page to the linky tool below


2. Like your hosts in the #1 and #2 spot


3. Like the person in the spot above yours and then like whoever else you want, the more the merrier!

Today

So today I went back to work after 2 snow days.  Well kinda 2 snow days.......I worked from home alittle bit yesterday!!!!!  And after having 2 days off I have decided I would be a VERY GOOD STAY AT HOME & WORK PERSON!!!!!  I had so much more fun yesterday working from DH's big comfy chair, in my PJ's, facebooking, working Scentsy stuff & doing alittle insurance work....all while I was watching soaps!!! Ohhhhhh and did 2 loads of laundry & cleaned the bathroom!!! 

I think Hoss liked mommy being home too!!!

BUT I did get a few things done today that I couldn't do from home......went to CVS!!!  Bought almost $10 of stuff & only spent $6 cuz I had some Bonus Bucks YIPPIE!!!!  Sent out some Scentsy FUNdraiser envelopes, transferred some $ (which I was supposed to do the other day) and caught up on all the work that was here.......so I wonder if I can talk my boss into letting me take the next 2 days off.  Ha....one could only wish!!!!



*****A small side note..........today at work didn't start off much better!!!!!  But it's ok I have a plan today that I didn't have yesterday.......am gonna work the plan & maybe just maybe it'll be a better day!!!!

I'm growing......

Today we have snow & icy roads here!!  Yeah!!!!  Don't get me wrong we LOVE LOVE LOVE snow here.  I think it's the northerner coming out in me.

But as I'm sitting here because of the snow, drinking my very yummy blueberry coffee something has dawned on me..........I'm growing.

 DH said this morning that the roads were still to bad for me to take the car out.  For me to stay home again today.  And believe it or not I said ok, you are the one that has been out (he has 4wheel drive) you know what the roads are like, if you say I stay home then I stay home!!!!!   Now you can pick yourself up off the floor cuz the old me would have said........are you crazy.....my car will be fine I'm going to work!!!  Which would have resulted in WWIII beginning & probably lasting atleast 3-4 days.  Feelings would have been hurt.  Pride crushed & Satan would have been doing the I rock dance!!!!!!!!!

In my study time lately I have been taken back a couple times to a few verses in Ephesians 5........

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

My prayer lately has been that I become more of a Proverbs 31 woman.  Showing respect and love to my Lord & Saviour AND to my husband.  I used to think that there was no way that I could SUBMIT myself.  Are you kidding me????  That means giving up my independence.  Letting my husband make decisions for me would be like poking my eyeballs out with a dull knife.  But you know what I totally misunderstood that scripture!!  It doesn't mean I give up my independence, let my husband have CONTROL over my life.

It doesn't mean that at all. 

Christ wants us to put Him first in our lives, to recognize that He is our Leader.  To go to Him in times of trials, happiness, help etc., and that's what we are supposed to do with our husbands.  If I'm praying to have Christ in the deepest parts of my heart & mind and to have Him walk with me in every step that I take thru out the day............why would it not be easier for me to say yes dear.  If you say so then that's what I'll do.

What I'm trying to say in all this rambling is that I'm growing.  I'm growing & learning from my walk with Him.......and it's a glorious day!!!  I'm seeing the Light & I'm LOVING it!!!!!

Forgive Your Husband

I'm sending this out to a couple people.....

Dinner Menu

It's that time of week again!!!!!

Monday...Leftovers
Tuesday...Hamburger Helper (cuz we didn't have it last week...DH made meatloaf, homemade mashed taters & Green beans)
Wednesday...out
Thursday....Southwest Shepherds Pie
Friday.....Cola Steak & Onions
Saturday....Chicken-n-Noodles
Sunday...Lazy Mama's Veggie Soup & Roastbeef Sandwiches

Hoss has been out playing in the snow while I typed this......it wears him out...can't ya tell!!!!

My Marriage

This is my sweet DH....yes he just happens to be giving me a hard time when I snapped this picture....saying I was gonna get throwed out of the store cuz I wasn't supposed to have the camera in there.....but regardless he is sweet!!!!  And my best friend & the person that knows me inside & out.  But I'm not writing this post to brag on him (although I could for hours!!!!!!) I'm writing it to send you over to a blog I found called Busy 'Lil Homemaker where she talks about protecting your marriage.  Im reading this blog this morning & all I could do is cry.  It was happy tears.  Tears of understanding.  Tears of yep Lord I got it!!!  Tears of yes we rock!!!!
Without giving you TMI.....know that yesterday something happened that Busy 'Lil Homemaker's post talks about & I know that I know that I know that because I have been walking with my Lord like I should I was able to resist Satan.  My prayer has been lately that the Lord be in my mind & in the deepest spot of my heart!!!  And He has been!!!!  And because of that I was able to turn and say

"Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."



So I can tell you lots of things in this post.....but mostly I want you to know.......If you have the Lord in your heart, mind & speech, when it comes time for Satan to try you.......you'll be able to turn the other cheek.  Or turn off the phone or the TV or the outside world that is trying so hard to drive a wedge in your marriage!!!!

I Help Everyone - Who Is Going to Help Me?

I'm running to the One that can be my strong foundation!!!! Hope you take some time out today to do the same!!!!

CrockPot Stuffed Cabbage

So dinner tonight was.....Stuffed Cabbage, homemade applesauce & cornbread muffins!!!  Mighty Mighty fine if I do say so myself!!!!!
Filling

12-14 large green cabbage leaves
1 lb hamburger
2 eggs
1 small onion minced
1 large clove garlic minced
1 large tart Granny Smith Apple
1 cup cooked white rice
1 T dried dill weed
2 T chopped flat leaf parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Cooking Sauce

1 T olive oil
2 onions halved & thinly sliced
1 can crushed tomatoes including the juice
lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce


Filling:

Blanch cabbage leaves in boiling water for 3 mins. Drain & refresh under running cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain again on paper towels & set aside
In large bowl combine hamburger, eggs, onions, apple, cooked rice, dill weed, parsley, salt & pepper.  Mix well.
Place the cabbage leaves on work surface.  Put about 1/4 cup of hamburger-rice mixture on bottom of cabbage leaf & roll up, folding in the bottom & sides to enclose the filling.  Fill remaining leaves.

Sauce:
In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion & garlic, saute til onions are limp about 4 mins.  Stir in remaining sauce ingredients & cook uncovered for another 5 mins.  Stir occasionally.

Place 1/2 of the sauce in bottom of crockpot.  Arrange filled cabbage leaves, seam side down, on top of sauce, making as many layers as necessary.  Spoon  the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls.  Do not stir.  Cover & cook on LOW for 7-9 hours or HIGH 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours.

I cooked them on low 6 hours then we turned them on keep warm till we got home which was about another 3-4 hours.

Meanwhile I cooked & slaved in the kitchen (HAHAHAHAHA) and Hoss slept as usual.

And this is the very cool burner I finally remembered to order from Scentsy for my wonderful DH!!!!  And might I say WE LOVE IT!!!!

Menu Week of 1/3

It's menu time......I know I know I'm late!!!!!  Sorry!!!

Monday....Crockpot Beef Stew, Baked taters
Tuesday.....Stuffed Cabbage, green beans, cornbread
Wednesday....out to eat
Thursday....Hamburger Helper & salad
Friday.....Porkchops
Saturday....Breakfast
Sunday......Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast


This menu planning is wonderful!!!!!!  I keep each week in my 3 ring binder that way I can look back so not to duplicate things!!!

Enjoy!!

My mind is wandering.....

So we left the doctors office alittle bit ago......more blood tests for the DH.  And (I'm not supposed to start a sentence with and am I?  oh well) they have decided he has some other kinda of disease that they are going to check on the blood tests to see what kinda of level it is at.  So in other words they don't know anything & will be charging me $800+ more to tell me nothing. 
And then Hoss was EVIL last night & I didn't go to bed until 3:30 this morning cuz of him!!! 
Oh and I'm back at work....which I don't want to be.  And how in the world am I gonna pay for more blood tests.  And I sure hope that my beef stew turns out good tonight.....cuz that & a baked tater sure do sound good right now. Oh & I forgot to pay one of the tax bills the other day I GOTTA do that today.  Along with call in medicine to pick up & whatever else is on my list for today.

See my mind is wandering & I just can't make it sit down to work on insurance work for people today!!!  That's sad isn't it????  But maybe it's wandering for a good reason, maybe the Lord is trying to tell me something.  I'm not to sure what it is yet.......I'm sure in his own time He'll let me in on the plan He has.  And (see there I go again) I KNOW that it'll be in His time not mine.  Maybe this is His way of testing one of my New Years Resolution........to enjoy the simpler things.  To take a few minutes out of my day today & enjoy the blue sky & warmer temps.  That's what I'm gonna do at lunch today.......sit & enjoy the sun beating down on me (thru my car window) & eat my lunch & read from God's word.

Sure do hope you can take a few mins today to do the same.

I resolve to........

This year I resolve to enjoy the simpler things more!!!!  What are the simpler things you ask.........

The fresh clean air, blue sky days!!!!!

Walks with my side kick!!!!

Moments with my DH!!!

You know the simpler things.  I'm sure my MIL who was a very simple lady didn't run the rat race, didn't worry about having the newest & the greatest of everything.  I know she had a hard life but she enjoyed the simple things.  And that's what I'm gonna do this year. 

My prayer for this year......

"LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.  Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul [is] even as a weaned child"