It's a snow day! ~m~

It snowed hard yesterday from about 3:30 until about 9pm. I think we probably got 3 or so inches...guessing since I didn't measure. Our school district announced a 2-hour delay last night and this morning they canceled school. I still had to be to work at 8am. Kinsey and I had a hard time getting on the highway because the roads are snow packed and there is an incline. After about 4 tries we got going and made it to work a few minutes late (I'm definitely getting a 4 wheel drive next vehicle!). The kids were wound up today but did play pretty nicely. I made taco/tostadas for lunch and they chowed down. They are all down for a nap now....sweet silence ;-)



Here is a picture my sister took at her house last night.

The ham that fed a family...

Neal's boss gave us 1/2 of a baked spiral sliced ham on Saturday. We had sandwiches from it both Saturday and Sunday. On Monday I made ham and cheese omelets for dinner. On Tuesday I had another sandwich from it. Tonight I made Baked Potato Soup and added small bites of ham to it...yummm! Tomorrow I'm making pinto beans and I'm going to throw the shank and the last bit of ham in there. It's amazing how far you can stretch something as simple as half a ham!

Just a little update

Neal and I went to his doctors appointment yesterday. He does not have a hernia after all. The doctor felt all around and said he didn't feel one but isn't really sure what's wrong with Neal. We talked about his diverticulitis and tests he's had done in the last 6 years. The doctor ordered more blood work and a CT (CaT) scan. We made the appointments for Friday. After the doctor reviews the results he is going to call us. That's all we know so far.

Mama, Mama take my picture!

Kinsey loves to have her picture taken and loves to pose--in my Mom's family you have to be that way. Everyone has a camera and at family gatherings there is always someone taking a picture...especially when we are eating.

Here are a few pictures I took today

I know, I know....

I said I would post every day in November but I haven't. I think I have done really well though. If you look at the list over to the right side you can see that November has been my most productive month so far. I pretty much have a post for every day but did not post every day. I'm counting multiple posts in a day towards my goal. Hey, it's my blog I can do that ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. We had a nice meal and enjoyed the day. I've been browsing the sale ads and planning what I will be buying tomorrow. I only have two stores to shop at so it's not like I have a big plan...lol! Wal-Mart opens at 5am so I have to be up at 4am so I can leave here at 4:30am. I don't have to much to get there. After Wal-Mart I'm going to swing by Walgreens and see if I need anything there. I should be back home before Neal needs to leave for work. Hopefully Kinsey will still be asleep and I can crawl back in bed for a little nap. Let the Holiday Season begin!

R.I.P. Bandit

My ex-husband emailed me to let me know that our dog had passed away. Bandit had cancer in his jaw and was unable to eat so ex-husband had to put him down. I just wanted to post a picture of him.

Thanksgiving Dinner at school

Kinsey's school had Thanksgiving Dinner today. Neal and I went up early to see her art work and help her get dressed in her Native American outfit. She is so cute in it! We had a really good lunch of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, 2 rolls and pumpking pie! The rolls were to die for! I can't believe we got two as big as they were.



Here is Kinsey and her Teacher.



And this is Kinsey and her friend Madison. Aren't they cute!?!

Her diary His diary

HER DIARY: Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made planst o meet at a bar to have a drink. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it. Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong; he said, "Nothing." I asked him if itwas my fault that he was upset. He said he wasn't upset, that it ha dnothing to do with me, and not to worry about it. On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly,and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior. I don't know why he didn't say, "I love you, too." When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly, and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. To my surprise, he responded to my caress, and we made love. But I still felt that he was distracted,and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep - I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.

HIS DIARY: Missed a big deer today, but at least I got laid.

LOL...this is just like my life

A baking marathon

I got into a baking mood today and ended up making 3 things! I made a Pumpkin Sheetcake with cream cheese frosting to take to the teachers at Kinsey's school tomorrow. I also made Cranberry Nut Bars. I made one pan for the teachers and one pan for myself. In mine I used turbinado sugar, whole wheat flour, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter sticks. I used pecans in both and they taste great! For Neal and Kinsey I made my cousin Karen's No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. This is one of Neal's favorite treats and he's been craving them. I wish I could figure out how to make them more low-calorie but we haven't done that yet. They need the sugar to make the base so Splenda is not an option.

KAREN'S NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

2 c. sugar
1/2 c milk
1/4 c bakers cocoa
1/2 c margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chunky peanut butter***
pinch salt
3 c quick cook oatmeal

Mix first 4 ingredients together and cook over medium heat until melted. Bring to boil and boil for 3 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute. Add last 4 ingredients and stir well. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 35-40
***I used regular peanut butter b/c I didn't have chunky and it comes out fine.

Creamy green chicken enchiladas

A friend of mine makes something similar to this but when I called to get her recipe she wasn't home. I decided to try and make it from what she has told me is in it. It ended up turning out really good. We had the enchiladas and a baked sweet potato......yummmm!

CREAMY GREEN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1 lb chicken breast
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can green diced green chilies
1 8oz container sour cream
12 corn tortillas
8-12 oz shredded cheese (I like Fiesta blend)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Boil chicken breasts until done. Put chicken on plate with paper towel so they can cool. Put both cans of soup in a sauce pan and add 2 cans water. Stir to break up lumps then add green chilies and sour cream. Dice chicken into small pieces and add to sauce. Cook until thoroughly heated and thicker. Poor a little sauce in casserole to cover bottom. Tear up 4 tortilla's into bite size pieces and cover bottom of dish. Put a layer of sauce and 1/3 of cheese. Continue layering and end with cheese. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Take out of oven and let set for about 5 minutes before serving.

A sad day for us

I started this post yesterday but never published it.

Our neighbors are moving today. He got a job in a nearby town so they decided to move half way between her job and his. We became close to them this last year so I hate to see them go. We were supposed to help them move but with Neal down we only went over to visit for a bit then got out of their way. We will all miss them. Kinsey loved to play with their little girl. Neal liked to visit with the husband about hunting, fishing, and trucks. I liked to visit with the wife about our kids, cooking, and other stuff. Good luck and best wishes to such good neighbors!

Does he even know me??

Sometimes I wonder if the man I married 6 years ago really knows me. Tonight I took a long bath and read. Later, I came out and Neal asked where I had been (we live in a small house--not a lot of places I could have been) and I told him I had been taking a bath. He said "Your hair's not wet". Well, no duh! I take baths 3-4 nights a week and never wash my hair when I'm in there...it's more of a time to relax and read...by myself! I can't believe after 6 years of seeing me do this that he just realized that I don't wash my hair...lol!

By the way, I do wash my hair but it's in the shower in the morning.

Color changes

You may have noticed by now that I change the colors or template on this blog often. I was in an apple mood so I had a leafy green template, then in a pumpkin mood so a pumpkin colored template........now I'm in a cranberry mood ;-)

Cranberry Nut Bars

Last week I was signing up for freebies and came across one for an Ocean Spray cranberry recipe book. I signed up thinking I wouldn't get it until after Thanksgiving. Guess what showed up in my mail today? I've had a bag of fresh cranberries in my fridge for over a week just waiting for me to make something. I had planned on muffins or cookies but once I saw this recipe, I had to try it. They are very good...a little sweet with a tangy tart taste from the cranberries. I didn't have any nuts so I left them out but I bet it would be even better with them (I would choose to do pecans though).

CRANBERRY NUT BARS

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour ***
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/4 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch baking pan.

Beat eggs in a medium mixing bowl until thick. Gradually add sugar, beating until thoroughly blended. Stir in flour and melted butter; blend well. Add cranberries and walnuts, mixing gently just until combined. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into bars.

Makes 16 servings.

Per Serving: Cal. 146.7 (7% DV), Fat Cal. 62.9, Pro. 2.2g (4% DV), Carb. 19.6g (7% DV), Fat 7.0g (11% DV), Chol. 36.6mg (12% DV), Sod. 36.3mg (2% DV), Vit. A 36.1RE (3% DV), Vit C 1.2mg (2% DV), Vit. E 0.3mg (1% DV), Calcium 10.0mg (1% DV), Iron 0.6 mg (3% DV), Folate 21.2 Ug (5% DV), Zinc 0.3mg (2% DV), Pot. 40.1 mg (1% DV), Dietary Exchange: Fruit 0.5, starch 1, Meat 0, Fat 1

***I used whole wheat flour for mine and they came out fine.

Want to get your own recipe booklet? Go to Ocean Spray and click on the Twelve Months of Cranberry link to have one sent to you (you can also print it out but you won't get the coupons).

To tired to post

I should have been in bed an hour ago but can't seem to get there. I'm really tired because when Neal doesn't sleep well, I don't sleep well. His doctor prescribed some new pain medicine that will hopefully help him sleep tonight. Instead of posting a recipe or picture, I'm going to bed. Goodnight!

Yes, turkey again

I made a menu this week but haven't made anything from it yet. Neal is not feeling well and most of the things I had planned are somewhat acidic/spicy and don't agree with his stomach. He went to the doctor yesterday because his side has been hurting and we assumed his diverticulitis was acting up again. His doctor now seems to think he has a hernia. She referred him to a surgeon that he will see on the 27th. Right now I'm not sure he will make until then. He's been hurting pretty bad tonight. The doctor put Neal on light duty for work so he isn't able to lift anything over 15 pounds. So if everyone could say a little prayer for him, we would appreciate it!
Now on to my recipe......

TURKEY MEATBALLS

This is a recipe I pretty much made up as I went tonight but they were so good I thought I would share them. These are all estimates since I just added stuff as I went. Feel free to add more or less to suit your taste.

1lb ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs (seasoned would have been really good)
1/2 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
garlic salt
kosher salt
pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray (I put a sheet of foil down then sprayed it). Mix all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Mine was somewhat soggy but it made them very moist. Roll into about 1 inch balls and put on a cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until done. Make a package of brown or mushroom gravy and add meatballs. Simmer for about 5 minutes and serve over egg noodles or rice.

Baked Potato Soup

Last month I went to a Taste of Home Cooking School and learned all kinds of great recipes. One of the ones I wanted to try was Baked Potato Soup. I decided not make what I had on my menu for dinner and made this tonight. It's windy and cold so it was the perfect weather for soup. Neal and I both loved it. We just sprinkled some cheese on top. I think next time I make it, I will put some ham in it. It was so easy and very YUMMMY!

BAKED POTATO SOUP

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 fl. oz.) chicken broth
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, baked or microwaved
Cooked and crumbled bacon (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

MELT butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Scoop potato pulp from 1 potato (reserve potato skin); mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes just to a boil. Dice remaining potato skin and potato(es); add to soup. Heat through. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onions, if desired.
VARIATION: For a different twist to this recipe, omit the bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions. Cook 2 tablespoons shredded carrot with the onion and add 1/4 teaspoon dried dill to the soup when adding the broth. Proceed as above.
***Copied from VeryBestBaking.com***

Internet problems

Due to a poor internet connection yesterday, I was not able to post. I'll catch up tonight.

What a wonderful day

Kinsey wanted to go on a picnic today so we got our things ready and headed out. It was such a pretty day. I don't think the temperature got over 60 degrees but it was sunny.
We went to Two Rivers Park, had our picnic and then let Kinsey play on the playground for awhile. After that we decided to drive up to the ski run and look at the little bit of snow up there. The ski resort is supposed to open Thanksgiving weekend but I'm not sure that's going to happen unless they start making a lot of snow soon.
Next we drove up to Monjeau Lookout. It was so pretty but cold up there. We took a few pictures on the rocks before heading back down. Here are Kinsey and I sitting on top of the world.

Here are Neal and Kinsey.

And here is one of just Kinsey.

Capitan 30 Tucumcari 33

Yes, we lost the quaterfinals for state 2A football playoffs. It was a hard fought game.
I'm freezing, my throat hurts, and I'm tired but I had fun. Thanks for the great season Tigers!

Herbal Fish

This recipe is really good served with wild rice. I leave out the olives and shallots. I use dried herbs sometimes. Just depends on what I have on hand. I also use whatever fish I have on hand.

HERBAL FISH

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, cubed
1/2 (6 ounce) can black olives, halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds cod fillets
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Stir in onions, red and green bell peppers and shallots. Cook 3 minutes. Sir in zucchini, squash, tomato, olives, and balsamic vinegar. Saute until vegetables are just tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread 1/2 of the vegetables into an oiled 9x11 inch baking pan. Cover the vegetables with 1/2 cup of the herbs.
Arrange the filets on top of the vegetables and herbs. Spread the second 1/2 of the vegetables over the fish and sprinkle the rest of the herbs onto the vegetables. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes

Perfect attendance

Kinsey was awarded with a perfect attendance award last week at her school's assembly. This is Kinsey and her teachers Mrs. "W".

Lucky Kinsey

I think Kinsey got her Grandma's and Daddy's GOOD LUCK! Our school district does Character Counts and has monthly drawings for prizes. In kindergarten the teachers give tokens (poker chips ) for doing these things. When you have five tokens, you get to put your name in a drawing for prizes. Last month she won a jump rope. Her name was pulled again this month and this is what she won




Hopefully we get enough snow to go sledding this year. We really missed going last year.

Did you vote today? I did!

Turkey isn't just for Thanksgiving

We have discovered ground turkey! I tried it years ago and didn't care for it but have tried it again and love it. I have found that I can substitute ground turkey for any recipe using ground beef. Using ground turkey is 1/2 the fat, lower in calories, AND cheaper!! I'm all about the cheaper part...lol! At my Super Wal-Mart the 93/7 ground beef is $3.08 a pound but the Jenny O ground turkey is $1.37 a pound!!!!!
This morning I made a great turkey meatloaf to put in the crockpot. My house smelled so good all day. Neal and I both loved it. Kinsey's not sure about it. She's still learning to eat what we do. I made "smashed" potatoes and steamed green beans. So much color on one plate!

CROCKPOT TURKEY MEATLOAF

2 pounds ground turkey (or 2 lbs lean ground beef)
2 eggs
2 slices bread (I used 3/4 sleeve saltine crackers crushed)
milk (I used evaporated milk)
salt
pepper
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and diced
small can of tomato sauce

First, make foil "handles". Fold a 30-inch long piece of foil in half lengthwise. Place in bottom of a slow cooker with both ends hanging over the top edge of cooker. The foil strip will make it much easier to remove the meatloaf when it's done.
Whisk eggs; tear bread up and add to egg (or crushed crackers). Add enough milk to make nice and wet. Add seasonings. Mix in ground turkey, onion, and bell pepper.
Drop mixture into crockpot and shape into a loaf. Pour tomato sauce on top. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for about 4 hours.

SMASHED POTATOES

5 large russet potatoes (leave skins on)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 small (5oz) can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

Slice potatoes into cubes and boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and put stick of butter and milk in pot. Cover and let butter melt. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until the consistency you like.

Music brings back memories

Do you ever have a song that reminds you of a place or time? When I hear certain songs they remind me of high school or college, first loves, and special times in my life. I recently found a song that I loved in college. It's called "What's on your mind? (Pure Energy)" by Information Society. Every time I hear it now it reminds me of the carefree fun time I had. Occasionally I would go to a dance club and that was my favorite song to dance to. This club was an old movie theater that had been converted into a club. They left the old screen up to show videos on and left some of the old seat for people to lounge it. It was such a great place. I just read online that it is slated for demolition...wow!

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

If you would like to see who is in the picture, put your mouse on the picture and a title will show at the bottom.

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

Kinsey and Mikeala

This is our neighbors little girl. She turns 2 today and just loves Kinsey. Happy Birthday Mikeala!

STRIKE!!!

Kinsey and I went to a birthday party held at the bowling alley on Sunday. She loves to bowl and she did so well. The party was a little chaotic with 10 or so kindergardeners running round but Kinsey did manage to get a decent score. Here are a few pictures that tell the story.

Challenge to bloggers

There is a challenge out there for all bloggers to post at least once a day during the month of November. I am going to try and see if I can can meet that challenge. I may just post a picture or a quick snippet but I will be trying my hardest to post!

D is for Doughnuts

This week in pre-school we learned about the letter D. On Wednesdays I try to make a special snack that starts with or has something to do with the letter of the week. We've had Apple oatmeal cookies, Banana muffins, and pumpkin Cupcakes. I asked the kids what snack they wanted that started with D and they came up with doughnuts. Usually when we make doughnuts, we use can biscuits and just fry them up. Today I decided to use a recipe I saw in the recent issue of Family Circle. They were very easy and the kids loved them. Instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg, I used Pampered Chef's Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend . I used regular sugar and the spice blend for the coating.

SUGAR DOUGHNUTS

3½ cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
3½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup milk
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

coating
½ cup superfine sugar blended with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. In medium-size bowl, whisk together the 3½ cups flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, lightly beat yolks on medium speed. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until pale and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Mix in butter. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, stirring with wooden spoon until combined.
3. On well-floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough into ½-inch thickness. Let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil to 365º (a cube of bread will be browned and crisp after 1 minute) in a heavy-duty saucepan over medium-high heat.
5. Cut into doughnuts with 2¾-inch round cutter along with ¾-inch round cutter for the centers. Gather scraps and re-roll if needed.
6. Coating: Place cinnamon-sugar in a small bowl. Carefully slip the doughnuts and doughnut holes, 3 or 4 at a time, into the hot oil. Fry until golden, turning once, about 2 to 3 minutes total per batch. Drain doughnuts on paper towel, then transfer still-warm doughnuts to cinnamon-sugar coating and roll to cover completely. Serve warm.