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>$5 Meals

2012-07-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

I was browsing the net for some awesome food, went through Pinterest tho. That site can me the death of me. LOL But here are my favorites that I found. Most of these I've already done, but some I want to try. Hope you enjoy.

Beef Stew: (throw in a crockpot...cook all day!)
1 lb on stew meat
1 package of baby carrots
4 white or red potatoes (skin on) 1/4 of a bag
1 medium sized onion
1 can of beef broth
spices (optional)

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Spaghetti and meatballs

Grilled Cheese and tomato soup

Chicken breasts cooked in skillet with cream of mushroom soup

Sloppy Joes: Just brown 1 lb ground beef with chopped up onion. Drain. Add squirt of mustard and enough Ketchup to make the right consistency. I also add a pinch of sugar. Serve on buns.

Cheeseburgers and french fries

Grill chicken or steak marinated in homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Chicken Tenders- I dip them in milk, then in some flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Pan fry them.

Breakfast for dinner: whatever I have on hand, pancakes with eggs & bacon, french toast, sausage gravy & biscuits, etc...

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches: I put a couple of chicken breasts in crock-pot with a jar of BBQ sauce, cook for 6-8 hrs on low, shred, and serve on Texas Toast or hamburger buns

One I did get from one of my friends. Supper easy, very yummy is English Muffin Pizzas

Pizza sauce on top of English Muffins, sprinkle with cheese and top with your favorite toppings(2-3 pepperonis) bake 350 about 10 mins. Easy and quick great for those busy nights, or when your drunk & need something in your stomach. :)
Going through some sites I never knew it was so popular.

What are your $5 Meals?? I want to hear from you! (If your on my FB you can message me there if you can't post here. I'll copy & paste it for ya.)

Clean All The Things!!

2012-07-09T17:43:00.001-07:00

So far, no major changes to the blog. Added a few items on the side bar, the intro., & removed some items. Maybe more to come later if I find anything I like, but still if you would like to see something different let me know.

We went to go see Madagascar 3 yesterday. As of right now, this movie is Hayden favorite movie. Told Spencer that when we take him to see Ice Age 4 & Spiderman the status will change.

When we got home last night Hershey's (guinea pig) cage was destroyed. He was still in there and shocked that he was. But I had to clean, re-do his cage. I don't know how it happened but we ended up cleaning the whole house. We went from the living room, to the kitchen, to Hayden's room, to the master bathroom, then ending in our bedroom. Apparently it needed to be done. I promise I do clean. But the stuff that we pulled up was bad. Finally got Spencer to go through some paper work that needed to be culled through.
Helped with my sinuses the next morning to. I remember a little over a month ago, I deep cleaned & Lysoled everything. We basically did the same thing yesterday just without the Lysol. I'm afraid I'm going to use a full can of Lysol again.

Not sure what else to talk about so when I think of something interesting I'll let you know. Until then I have Facebook & Pinterest you can Follow Me on.

Face Lift??

2012-07-09T07:02:00.002-07:00

I'm wanting to give my blog a face lift but not sure what should be done. Soo, I ask you what would you like to see changed/done to the blog? Anything added....you let me know! Comment in the comment box below.....

**added** -- Don't be afraid to tell me anything. I'm a big girl & take criticism & not going to get butthurt. I wear my big girl panties. LOL

Glasstop Stove Cleaner. (pinterest)

2012-07-05T13:29:00.001-07:00

Forget that expensive B.S.! ... By the way Pinterest is amazing.

This amaziness actually works. But before what I tell you what it's all about I want to show you what I've been using.

This stuff came with the stove. It works but not for that heavy duty stuff on gunk. So when I found this on Pinterest I had to try it. And it works. I had to do it 2 times, but only because I had A LOT of gunk stuck on there.
So Click Here for the website with Pictures.
But in case you can't view it here is how it works.

All you need is

Bowl & Hot Soapy Water
Baking Soda
A Cleaning Rag
Gloves (optional)

First, you fill a bowl with hot tap water water and mix it with some dish soap. Submerge the rag in the bowl and get it wet.
Apply baking soda in a generous amount all over the affected area.
Now pull out that hot soapy rag out of the bowl and squeeze half the water out. You want it to be soggy, not sopping.
Then wait about 15 minutes…
Then swirl the rag around in circles, using the baking soda paste as a gentle scrub.
Then dry up the surface and shine it up with windex. Good as new!!
I repeated these steps 1 time to achieve these results. You may also leave the rag on for longer, depending on how bad it is.

Bam!!

Happy 4th

2012-07-05T06:06:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a safe & enjoyable 4th of July. We had a blast.
First we attempted to go on Bragg since they were having some country singers & doing some Vendors/Kiddie Stuff. But around 5pm it started to rain it was over quick but we had already left & at home.

So we watched a movie, Hayden took a nap & Spencer cooked some Sausages & Beans.
Around 8pm we decided to try our luck at Hope Mills Park near/closer to us. Much better than the last time we went there. (Not last year but the year before) Hayden was in Aw.
Then came home. We had a box left over the past Holidays of Fireworks so we tried to use as much as possible since we are moving in a few months & I don't think traveling with explosives is a good idea. So we went to our street a lit stuff on fire. Hayden loved it, Rebecca wanted to eat it, Julie hid in the garage. Lol. This year we were out done by the neighbors. Sucked a bit but still put on a good show. After all that we are left with Sparklers, & those things you throw at people's feet. Lol. Forgot the name.

Save some $$$!

2012-07-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

Want to go shopping online for kids clothes but don't want to spend a leg on it. Check out http://www.thredup.com/
I just browsed it for a few seconds & I already want to go shopping. But seriously, it's like shopping in a resale store. I haven't gotten anything from there yet, but plan on it. Especially the next time I want to go shopping.

Omelet in a Bag

2012-07-01T06:11:00.001-07:00

So last night I tried something from Pinterest. Omelet In A Bag, the instructions are pretty straight forward but the taste of the food wasn't that great. It was okay for that one time trying it, but I don't see myself eating it again.
Even Spencer was skeptical about it when I was making it & he even said it wasn't that good. Which is a shame because I was excited about the reviews I've seen about it. But I guess if you like poached eggs then this would probably be for you.

Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings (Lazy Way)

2012-06-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Can of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

1 package/can of Refrigerated Biscuit Dough (I didn't have Biscuit but have Crescent)

1 Can of Mixed Veggies (drained)-- (Didn't have Mixed Veggies but had different can's I'll explain later)

1 tsp of Cumin (used Tony's)

Sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper (used Tony's)

1/2 tsp of Pepper

Pinch of Salt

1/2 tsp of Onion Powder

1-1/2 cup of Chicken Stock

Here is everything but the Butter.

Now what your going to do it put everything in your Crockpot except your Biscuits/Cresents.

Now if your like me & only have multiple can's of veggies but no "mixed veggies", watch this!

I threw 1 Can of Whole Kernel Corn, 1 Can of Sliced Carrots, & 1 Can of Green Beans into a bowl. Stirred & plopped 3-4 scoops of it into the crockpot. You can always add more if your into the veggie thing.

Next I threw in the Stock. The reciepe asked for a cup but with my crockpot I add a half cup more because it just looked really low with all the ingredients in it.

Finally I added everything else, and put the chicken in last. So it can soak everything from the bottom. I squished it down a bit just for it to settle.

Now your going to Cover & Cook on Low for 5-6 hours.

About 2 hours before serving tear up the biscuit/crescent dough & place it in there. Make sure your "dumplings are cooked all the way through.

And stir, & Enjoy!!

Stay Tuned!

2012-06-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

Another yummy goodness is coming. Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings. I found this baby off of Pinterest last night & I was already thawing out some Chicken so this was perfect. I rushed into the kitchen to check to see if I had all the ingredients. When I came back to the bedroom Spencer looked at me weird, apparently he's never seen a woman run to the kitchen that fast to cook. LOL.

So in a few hours, I'll be plopping those lovely chickens in the pot. It's so easy I may not have to do a step-by-step but I will include pictures of what I'm using tho.

**Stay-Tuned**

Moving

2012-06-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well it's almost official we will be getting out of the Army. Spencer got his papers back yesterday from Washington & soon we can find out the date. Yay! I'm super excited. I went out earlier and bought some moving boxes. I don't know the exact date yet but it's always a good start to get it moving early. Plus with some of my procrastination doing this could help. So I went around the corner to the closest Storage facility. Yes, I know I can get boxes from Walmart, etc. but I needed tape & other stuff too so why not? So I pick up a Moving Kit.
$50 for this baby. I couldn't believe it. I know some of y'all may be thinking, "this is a bit to pricey". But think about it. --5 Small, 4 Medium, 2 Large, The tall box it comes with, 2 Rolls of Tape, 2 Rolls of Bubble Wrap (oh lordy it's tempting to pop some, lol), and a Marker. After everything adds up, it will cost a little bit more. Plus this will last me a while so I don't need to get boxes.

So far, I've boxed up almost all of Hayden's stuffed animals in a Large box, taped a few other boxes I got saved over from my business from Avon, and boxed up, but didn't tape, most of Hayden's books he has looked at for a few months, plus a few other odds & ends laying around. Later I'll hit up my closet & take care of some of the boxes that are up on the shelves collecting dust.

Hmm Potatoes & Meat

2012-06-25T16:49:00.002-07:00

Scalloped Potato Casserole

1lb Ground Beef

1-1/1 cup grated cheese

Salt & Pepper

1 Can of Cream of Chicken

1/2 Onion, finely chopped

2 Large Thinly Sliced Potatoes

1 cup of milk

3 Quart Casserole Dish

1. Brown beef (not cook) & onion

Drain

2. Place Beef in Casserole Dish. Cover with Cheese, Salt & Pepper

3. Place Potatoes Over Meat & Cheese

(Now if your like me & for some stupid reason CANNOT for anything thinly slice a potato correctly & have them looking like wedges, it will not mess up the dish)

4. Mix 1 cup of milk & soup in bowl/pan & pour over top. (Might help to heat up a bit, but if in hurry you can mix off to the side of the stove.)

5. THEN! Bake at 350 for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Pull out & serve!

Enjoy!

2012-06-25T13:52:00.002-07:00

Okay I have another yummy treat coming soon. Scalloped Potato Casserole. Maybe even some Vanilla Cupcakes. Stay Tuned for it. If it's not posted on the Home page make sure you check the It Smells Good In Here page.

Here's Another One lol

2012-06-11T14:53:00.001-07:00

This is what we do when bored & it's raining.

2012-06-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

$10 Meal!

2012-06-04T15:46:00.001-07:00

I came across another recipe the other day so I tried it out yesterday. It can also be used as a Freezer Meal, which isn't hard & I'll tell you.

Chicken & Rice

1 Box of Wild Rice w/ Seasoning Packet (didn't have any so used a Rice Side "Chicken & Broccoli")

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Can of Water (use one of the empty soup cans)

3-6 Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts (I used 3)

1. Mix together rice w/ seasonings, both soups, & water in a casserole dish.

Mix well. It will look like this.

Top with Chicken & season with salt & pepper if desired.

Then bake for 1 hour @ 350

Easy Right!!

Family verdict, they loved it. Next time I may op. out the mushroom soup & do a double chicken soup. I wasn't a big fan of the mushrooms.

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For Freezer Instructions:

Same instructions for Number 1. Pour into 8x8 freezer dish. Top with Chicken. Double wrap in foil, label, & freeze.

Thaw & bake uncovered @ 350 for 1 hour.

I will try & find some more awesome Freezer Meals for ya.

Stew

2012-05-29T14:17:00.001-07:00

Recipe for this baby coming soon.

Okay as I promised here it is. Found this recipe online. Made a few changes, and if I may say it was AMAZING.

Southwestern Beef Stew

1lb ground beef

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder OR 2 minced garlic cloves (I used powder)

1 Can Tomato Soup

1 Can (10 1/2oz--1 1/3 cup) Beef OR Chicken Broth

1 Cup Water

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder OR Tony's Creole Seasoning (I used Tony's)

3 Med. Potatoes (I used 2 Lg.)

1 Can Whole Kernel Corn

Shredded Chesse

Cook beef, & garlic over med-high heat. Drain. (I cooked it into a separate pan, since it wasn't deep enough & transferred it into a pot shown in the picture.

In the pot combine soup, broth, water, chili powder/Tony's, & potatoes. Add the cooked beef. Bring to boil. Then reduce to low, cover, & cook for 15 minutes. Stir in corn.

Once done, put in bowl/plate, sprinkle cheese on top. Enjoy!

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Simple Right?! It was so easy. It does have a kick to it. If it's too spicy for you, add a tiny bit of soy sauce to it. If you try this out, let me know what you think of it.

It's been a while since I've been on. Like I keep saying, I'm trying.

It's May

2012-05-02T07:44:00.002-07:00

Oh goodness, it May. And Blogger has changed. Took me a while to figure it out, but not too long considering I'm on here. Well here's a lil' summary since Jan. (last post). Still no pregnancy, don't think it will ever happen. Spencer is getting out of the Army due to his headaches. We should know the exact date soon, but we suspect before October this year. I'm so excited. We are Renting out the house & moving back to Texas. Yay! My parents are happy that we are coming back, and are friends are also. No more 6 states, 20 hours, difference. Army said they are going to be coming in & help us pack, but some things I want to pack my self. Like the China Cabinet stuff, and my underwear. (some things are not to be touched)
Now the process on getting 3 people, 2 dogs, 2 iguanas, and "maybe" a guinea pig in a hatchback focus for 20 hours is going to be interesting.

There's really not much going on. Not of importance anyways. If you want to know more add me on FB. When adding me, just let me know that your from my blog.

I'm such a busy body....

2012-01-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here is the before & after shots of the bathroom. I think I changed it a lot. I plan on doing something to cabinets but not sure just yet. But for now I'm going to work on another project until I'm sure.

I believe my next project is the kitchen. I got this wonderful idea from a fellow blogger. I don't know who she is personally, but her work is amazing. Her blog is called Lemonade.

http://timmonsfamilylemonade.blogspot.com/2011/04/kitchen.html

This lady has the same type of cabinets as I do. And I just love the way she re-did them. Above is the link on the idea I have for my kitchen. Let me know what you think?!

@};-

I've just been a busy body since the New Year started. And that's a good thing. Before I've just been sitting around. Now I'm still sitting around, but I'm also throwing in some crafts/redecorating into the mix. Spencer isn't really happy about all the changes happening so fast but is happy that's it's getting done, especially since our taxes will be done soon, we will be able to get a lot more done with more money.

I do have some more, I guess you want to call it information, about the baby front, no news that I want but I will fill you in more on the Baby Blog.

Well that's all I can think of for now. Laters!

2012-01-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

Found this site called Pinterest. And it has given me awesome ideas/projects/help/etc.

It also has introduced me to a Calendar of a Daily De-Clutter Organizer

http://www.mysimplerlife.com/2012.htm

I don't have printer but was able to find a calendar I wasn't using & copied it. I skipped out on a few items, & changed/added a few. A few days left open, due to birthday's, holidays, etc. And just a relaxing day.
Hope this works out. My house is mess & I don't feel like doing everything at once. So this calendar should work.

Enjoy!

Once I find something else that could be useful to you. I will try to post.

Bathroom Renovation

2012-01-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

After almost 2 years of having an ugly bathroom, for our (my) New Years Resolution we finally started on the bathroom.
Behind our giant mirror is the last of the ugly wallpaper, that will be no more

The Green stripes that the previous owner thought was so amazing. Not!
My Inspiration (Shower Curtain Holder)

Painted the first coat. And finally the new light fixture that will be added later after we call an Electrician. Previous owner did something weird with the wires so ....

Stay tuned for the rest/more of the Bathroom Pics on the "Our House in Movement" section.

2011-12-31T06:56:00.001-08:00

Just got this cool iPhone app so maybe I can post more.

I'm just so horrible posting lately. Don't know if it's the will of posting or nothing interesting to post.

Christmas was good. Hayden made out like a bandit. For being the only child, and the only grandchild. He was, well let's say "Spoiled". He got basically everything he asked for & then some. Scooter, Drum Set, Whack-a-Mole, etc.

Me& Spencer did well too. Spencer got the video games he wanted & a new Xbox controller since the other ones were sticking. He also got a new beanie (Cowboys) since Hayden stole the other one, a Cowboys coffee mug, & a Cowboys Hoodie. His mother also got him 2 extra hoodies. She doesn't bother buying me hoodies because I just use Spencer's. Spencer has like 20+ Hoodies. We are converting the Hallway closet just for those hoodies. Funny but also sad at the same time.

Me I got an iPhone, bath pillow, one of those neck pillows you can heat up in the microwave, and some earrings. The earrings I got from my mother. She got them at the Renaissance which the make their gage a tad but bigger than Department Store's so I stretched my ear open a little. I wore them all day when I got them so my ears wouldn't hurt so much later.

I've got some videos of Hayden playing the Drums & he's got rhythm. I try to post one later.

Stay tuned to the Iguanas blog. I'll post a few things soon. Nothing new on the Baby blog.
Well that's it for now.

Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

So I was shared this Blog through one of my friends on Facebook & after I was educated on what the term of Elf on the Shelf meant this is funny. And yes, you can call this a mini blonde moment if you want.

Elf on the Shelf means: It's a pretty new concept-- something to get the kids to behave for Christmas because they think the Elf will go back and tell Santa if they were good or bad. So check it out.

http://peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.blogspot.com/2011/12/over-achieving-elf-on-shelf-mommies.html

2011-12-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Okay Wow!, I am sooo behind on posting. Okay well, short story/update.
Had an okay Halloween, could've been better. It started out rainy, so we opt. out and went to the mall, which was obviously packed. Then came home for the last hour and noticed little kids running around. So we did our turn at Trick or Treating. Hayden had fun and that's all that matters. This year his was a Red Power Ranger.
K, November. Thanksgiving....again started out good. I cooked an Amazing Dinner since I'm a Culinary Genius LOL. ... Then shortly before going to bed, got sad news. My grandmother passed away. She was living in a nursing home, with Al-chimers & Dementia, and was in & out of the Hospital from falls. But the amazing part out of this was my mother & my aunt were able to visit her the week before & she was so clear, and remembered everything. I flew to my parents & was able to help my mom & aunt with the Funeral arrangements.
December. Came back home on the 8th, and got the tree up, and this weekend we are putting up the lights. A little later than what I wanted but at least its getting up. We had to buy new lights this year since 2 strands had some lights out on it. Also still need to catch up on a few Christmas shopping trips, but know me, a ninja of shopping, I shouldn't have a problem. Lol.

Well that's it for now. Hopefully I'll get back on here soon and give you more updates. Don't forget to check out my other 2 blogs. Tomorrow I'll try to get on the Iguanas and do a little update there. Until then, ... talk to later.

2011-10-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

Carving....
At the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins!

2011-10-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we made the trip to the local pumpkin patch. Well, local wouldn't be the correct word, since we had to drive 30 miles to get there. It was a blast either way. We didn't have enough money do everything they had there, so we stuck to the patch. We got 3 pumpkins, 50 cents/per pound. Not bad.

(More pictures up soon...)

So last night we had the opportunity to carve these pumpkins. Spencer did most of the cleaning out the pumpkins. We had a hard time trying to get Hayden to help out. Somehow, a few minutes later we ended up having a pumpkin gut fight in the kitchen. No, Hayden wasn't part of it. It was just Spencer & me. I can tell you one thing, we will be cleaning up pumpkin for a while. Well, we had issues with the biggest pumpkin, and when I went to pick it up after it was carved, it broke. So we had 3 pumpkins to start off with, but ended up with 2. I was soo mad at myself last night because I have never done anything like that before.

Grrrrr........but all is good. We spent the next hour picking out the pumpkin seeds so I can roast them today. A step by step is listed below.