An Online Crop!

This is something I haven't done in a few years and was excited when I came across this one from the fine ladies of Scrapbook Generations! Join the Scrap Squad and you'll find so many different challenges to get those scrappy, creative juices flowing again, and numerous way to use up those scrap papers we all are hoarding!

They did a Party With The Squad on Super Bowl Sunday and there's still plenty of time to participate with the challenges being due by February 21st. Here is a sampling ....

My "ingredients" were:

Bun - PP & CS

Meat - Stencil

Extras - washi tape, wood veneer, chipboard (alpha)

Dipping Sauce - ink 

So far I've managed three layouts and one card, and tomorrow I continue! Come on over and join us!

Godspeed

Simple Homemade Goulash

Since retiring and taking on the role of Domestic Engineer, I have more time to search the internet and my endless supply of cookbooks for new and different recipes. For some, they may not be anything spectacular, but for me they are new and being the adventurous type, I like to explore. 

That said, I remember goulash from my childhood, but didn't remember what went into it besides hamburger and macaroni. I knew it was a start, but there had to be more to it! The recipe I found was from a blog called Simply Homemade. I did make a change since I wanted to use what I had in my pantry and not make that extra trip to the store. I left out the ground turkey and added a bit more hamburger. Next time, I think some Italian sausage in place of the turkey would be a nummy change. 

And the final results .... hubby LOVED IT!! The recipe does state that you can freeze for later, but with all the seconds he had, let's just say, we have leftovers for one night this busy weekend! 

During the cooking stage ... the smell was DEVINE!

Simply Homemade Goulash

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound lean ground beef
1 -2 small onions, diced ( I used red onions)
1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
3 cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
3 T soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1 T seasoning salt
course ground pepper to taste
2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)

Directions:
Brown meat and onions in a large pan, I used my cast iron Dutch oven, it's the perfect pan! After the meat is brown, spoon off any excess grease. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, water, garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy or worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, and pepper. Stir to mix everything together and put the lid on your pan and cook for 25 minutes. Add macaroni and simmer for another 20-25 minutes over low heat. Let it sit about 30 minutes with the heat off. Remove bay leaves before serving. Be prepared to eat it with a spoon so you get all of the sauce! Enjoy!
Makes about 8-10 servings. Freeze in airtight containers. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Godspeed

Allie-Kat

11/17/04 - 11/27/15

It's been eight weeks today that I had to say "See you on the other side" to my faithful friend, Allie-Kat. We snuggled, she purred, and she looked at me with reassuring eyes that told me she was ready to rest. I rocked her as she leaned against me and she took her last breath.  

There was something special about her, I can't quite put my finger on it. She's not the first pet that we've had to lay to rest, but for some reason its been the hardest on me. I get comfort in knowing she's basking in the sun, waiting with our other kitties and puppy dogs sharing stories of their time with us, and no longer in pain. Maybe in time it will get easier .....

Rest, my Sweet Allie-Kat, rest.

Godspeed

A day for baking ...

Since I am no longer working outside the home, I had the time to make pie crusts from scratch. Its something I haven't done for over 13 years and just hope they come out okay! If not, they can eat the yummy filling which I know they all enjoy!

I just couldn't resist taking photos of the process .... apples, sugar, 

cinnamon, a splash of nutmeg, and a bit of flour is all it takes! 

VIOLA! A beautiful Apple Pie!

And what is Thanksgiving without the traditional Pumpkin Pie!

A dollop of whipped topping and its heaven!

Now I just need to get the rolls thawed and in the oven and we're ready with our portion of the Thanksgiving Feast! This year our son & daughter-in-law will be hosting for both sides of the family!  Is it time to pass the torch? We'll see .....

Wishes to You & Yours for a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Godspeed

Can you believe it!?

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only one week away?!? My word, time is getting past me in a FLASH! This year my daughter-in-law and son are being the hosts for the big Thanksgiving Dinner and my job is pies, of course! LOL! I am thinking of going off the grid and making baking a few new deserts instead of the usual pumpkin & apple pies. 

The first one that came to mind is this ....

PUMPKIN PECAN COBBLER

Yield: 8 servings  Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 40 minutes  Total Time: 50 minutes 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup + 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups very hot water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, stir pumpkin, milk, melted butter and vanilla together to combine. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix to create a thick batter. Pour into a small 8-inch casserole dish with high sides. 

In a separate bowl, stir sugar, brown sugar and pecans together. Spread over the top of the batter evenly. Pour hot water over the entire thing {WITHOUT STIRRING A THING!} and bake for 40 minutes or once the middle is set. {Be sure to place on a baking sheet incase it bubbles over.} Cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with more pecans and vanilla ice cream.

***********

Doesn't that just look scrumptious!! I'm going to give it a "test drive" today without the pecans, because I know the little ones will just pick them out! ;)

Have a great day & Godspeed

Dearest Blog ....

I haven't meant to ignore you, I've just been crazy busy with so many activities that I haven't been able to visit with you. I sincerely apologize and will be more attentive from here on. I still haven't touched a piece of scrap paper, made a card, painted on canvas, or anything else creative since my last post in May, and I can tell .... I just feel different, empty, not quite whole. So I promise from today on, you will see me visit at least once a week and creating as before.

Until then ..... Godspeed

Retired & lovin' it!

Seven weeks ago today, I punched the time clock for my final shift. It has been quite a ride since then and here people told me I'd be back in a few months because I was bored!! Are you kidding me!?! I'm having the time of my life, doing what I want, when I want, no time restrictions, no missed family get-togethers, no missed ball games, and being able to have dinner with my husband!

I just finished up week two of my art classes that I'm taking with my oldest granddaughter, and its been fun! Never have used charcoal as an art medium and I thought "WHAT?" But that thought was quickly squashed once I got started on my first drawing! Its so easy, the shading is a breeze, and I've discovered something new!

STEP OUTSIDE THAT BOX!!! …. they said!
GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!!! …. and I'm glad I listened!

She's, yes my puppy picture is a "she", isn't finished just yet, but next week I'll be sure to come back with a snapshot of her to share!

Hope you all have a Wonderful Thursday!

Godspeed

SEVEN MONTHS!!!

WOW!! I sure have been busy! Where has the time gone? Our summer was GO! GO!! GO!!! Here is a sampling of what we did ….. a pool party for the Fourth of July! You can see who lost here!!

Now that Butch has a local trucking job we were able to spend so much time together with the kids and other family members. It was a summer that had it shares of highs and a few lows, and I intend on scrapping them all. Until next time …. 

Godspeed

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Sausage Egg & Cheese Muffins

Had to make a few alterations to the original recipe to meet my dietary needs but they taste so delicious!

Cook, drain & cool -
10 oz. mild pork sausage

Add & mix together by hand until well blended -
4 oz. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups of Mexican Style egg substitute
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup baking mix (Bisquick, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with a non-stick cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly into muffin pan. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until set. Let them cool slightly, then carefully remove from pan.

Approx. 125 calories each! Yummy for breakfast or mid-day snack. ENJOY!

Snow Days!

 Max decided to watch from the inside!

 And Maggie was nose diving on the outside!

In all we received over 6" in all which is a
pretty substantial amount for this area.

The backyard was covered and drifted in white and
made everything so bright for nighttime.

And our little fir tree we planted in our front yard this 

past summer looked so cute decked out in white!

But, it all has disappeared now as the rain has made its presence known and melted it all 

away. It was fun while it lasted, but now its back to our normal wintertime weather. ;)

Yes, I still know how!

Although its been quite some time since I scrapped, I did manage the time for one a few weeks ago! It was fun mixing up some older papers (Basic Grey Sugar Rush) with newer stuff (washi tape) and using up some alpha stickers (including the numbers for letters) to create a really cute layout of Ruby in her new Hello Kitty outfit…...

I finally had our San Diego vacation photos processed, so maybe I'll get to some of those soon. Our pretty snow has turned into freezing rain, so since I'm homebound, maybe its a good day to start!

Godspeed

Max

My baby boy is growing up so fast! Already weighs in at 10.2 lbs. and bossier than ever to his older sister, Allie-Kat! We received snow yesterday and he needed to check it out as I was shoveling, and here he is all tuckered out!

And as I type, the snow has started once again! Round TWO!

Oven Baked Fajitas

What's for dinner tonight you ask? THESE!! This recipe has been bouncing all over Facebook so tonight we're giving it a go. I can smell them baking and taste the yummy goodness already!

Oven Baked Fajitas

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt.
Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are done.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Carmel Bacon Popcorn

I finally got started on my Christmas Baking!! With a little help from a cute little four year old, we managed two batches of yummy cookies and this ……

Caramel Bacon Popcorn

15 cups of popped popcorn - 2/3 cup of kernels will make about 15 cups

8 slices of bacon - if you really want the bacon flavor to be strong, perhaps 10 slices

1/2 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium sized pot melt butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, salt and mix together. Bring to a boil and stir constantly. Boil for four minutes without mixing. Turn off heat and add baking soda, vanilla, and bacon. Mix all together.

Drizzle mixture all over popcorn and mix well. Work quickly before the mixture hardens too much. Don't worry if the popcorn isn't completely covered with mixture. You'll be able to fix this when it's in the oven.

Place both baking sheets with popcorn in oven at 25o degrees. Bake for one hour stirring every 15 minutes. Watch the caramel to make sure it doesn't get too dark, it burns quickly. Take out of oven an let cool. Done. You may find that it doesn't need to be in the oven for a full hour. 

OH MY WORD!!! If you like bacon and the sweet/salty combination, this recipe is for you! I found it at zakkalife and give them all the credit for this incredibly delicious treat! Happy Baking & snacking!! 

At it again, Godspeed

WOW! It's already December!

November came and went in the blink of any eye! I was to be on vacation the first ten days but ended up sick in bed for those ten days and never did get my gift shopping or house ready for the festivities. Now its already December and I've barely started shopping and our decorations are still packed away in boxes. Kinda sad when I think about it ….

So today, we got into the holiday spirit and Ruby, Makayla, Geneva, and I made these ….

…. our very own Hot Cocoa Snowman! Those little 4 oz. jelly jars are just the perfect size for two servings of hot cocoa! Not the most cost effective craft, but so much fun to make! :)

I've decided that I'm doing a Twelve Days Of Cookie Baking this year and day one is tomorrow! Check back for some yummy cookie recipes, some old favorites of mine, and some I'm trying for the first time. Its bound to be a fun experiment!

Godspeed

The day after ….

Halloween with the little ones was GREAT! Here are our little trick or treaters as they head out for a night of gathering candy ….

Next up ….. THANKSGIVING! Where has this year gone?!?

Godspeed

Oh, YES WE DID!

Before things get too crazy here for the Holidays, the grand babies and I decided to make this cute little mixed media Christmas Tree canvas we saw on Donna Downey's blog. Ruby needed a bit of help, but Makayla was all hands on!

Beautiful masterpieces!

Godspeed

Pumpkin Puppets!

Ruby came to pay me a visit this morning and we created pumpkin puppets!

I love the excitement in her eyes! She has recently become so animated and I just love it!

Godspeed

Happy Fall!!

I. HAVE. BEEN. BUSY!!

Remember this post? Well, I started getting really serious about getting healthier and in April I REALLY buckled down! I saw a post on Facebook about a product called Plexus Slim. The person claimed it could help with my cravings for sugar and carbs, and I thought "what the heck, why not." It was a free three day sample so I had nothing to lose.

I can tell you that first day I felt an increase in energy and the morning of day two, I woke feeling refreshed because I FINALLY slept thru the night!! I haven't done that in YEARS!! By the third morning, the stiffness in my hands was almost non-existent and I craved water like crazy!

Butch & I talked it over and I signed up immediately! I never in a million years would have thought I'd be sharing this wonderful group of products with others and getting paid, because all I wanted was the wholesale pricing! As you can see, Plexus has been wonderful for me and given me my life back! My life was good before, but now its GREAT! I'm no longer a spectator and can participate in all the fun stuff life has to offer once again! And even if I never lose another pound, the non scale victories are worth their weight in gold!

And now that I my health is improving, its time to get back to the scrap table! You may have noticed that I was rarely in any of the photos, well that's gonna change too! I don't mind having my picture taken now!! WATCH OUT!! 

Godspeed

Busy summertime!

My poor neglected blog ...... we've been so busy this summer and I just haven't taken the time to show it any lovin'..... SORRY blog!!

Another thing I've put on hold is my weekly scrapping. In the winter & spring months when our weather is "icky" outside, I have plenty of time to play with papers. But in the summer and fall when the temps are darn right GORGEOUS, that's another story! I NEED my sunshine, I NEED those outdoor activities that I love, and I NEED to just take the time to pause and reflect on the beauty of a spectacular summer day with the skies so blue, the flowers smelling so sweet, and the warm air against my skin. I LOVE SUMMERS in the Pacific Northwest!

But, amidst all that, I did notice that Tammy at The ScrapRoom has issued us a 'stash challenge' so I thought "why not?" Why not get out some papers from this enormous stash of mine, pick out some photos that were printed but set aside, and why not just take an hour out of a few days a week to scrap. Yea, why not! So, here we are!

  These are more photos from my sister Pat's visit in April.
And THIS is why I hoard papers, because these from
My Mind's Eye were PERFECT!!  

Now I need to get back outside and enjoy what's left of my beautiful afternoon! BYE!

Godspeed

Visitors!

Back in April my oldest sister and her husband visited for a few days. We took lots of photos, but wanted to scrap these two layouts first ....

Ruby is very intense as she teaches her Uncle Al how to play a game ......

and Makayla is learning a new stitch for crocheting from Aunt Pat.

Need to get caught up on my photo printing so I can get the rest of the photos scrapped from their visit, cause we went and did lots of stuff that is so scrap worthy

Godspeed

Meet Max!

Here is the newest addition to our family, Max! He's six weeks old and just a fluffy little ball of joy!

The grandbabies think he's adorable and love to cuddle with him ....

and Allie-Kat is getting use to his antics as well.

He's making himself right at home! 

Godspeed

OH MY STARS!! LAYOUTS!!

When the weather turns south again, I get back into my scrappy area! Here is what I've been doing this past week. Some old, some new, but important to me and needed scrapping ......

Introducing the girls to some messy fun! July 2010

Easter 2012 was such a beautiful day so after dinner we pulled out the new fire pit and toasted up some marshmallows for some sticky fun!

Since our son is a Leapling, last year we just had to celebrate his 8th Birthday! It was complete with Happy Meals, Transformers, and a homemade birthday cake! He's such a good sport!

While waiting for Big Sis to finish her practice, Ruby discovered some "pretty white flowers". 

Every year I plant geraniums in honor of my Grandma George and this year enlisted the help of Ruby. She said they were pretty, but insisted that this one be hers to take care of. I think we have the next generation "green thumb" in the making!

Since the rains are due back for all of next week, I'm sure I'll have more to share shortly. Thanks for stopping by!

Godspeed

garden time!

Boy, have I missed my spring plantings for our fresh veggies during the summer months! This year we have rented plots in the community gardens from our local food bank and today I put the finishing touches on it and now to sit back, water as needed, and watch our fruits of labor grow!

If you look REALLY close, you can see our potatoes are starting to sprout!

And our first tomato on the left side, with another blossom developing on the right! YUMMY!!

I plan on sharing photos throughout the growing season, so stay tuned!

Godspeed