Wednesday, October 31, 2012

When Scout arrived

Oh, boy!  
A 9.5 pound treat just after midnight on Halloween 1995.
 We had a "birthday party" and invited Big Bro and Big Sis.
 ...and they got the presents - no Trick or Treating that year!
 
 Firstborn got a hands-on lesson in how to hold his little brother.
 
 
 
 Our first "family of five" portrait 
 
Happy Birthday, Dylan Conner!  
We were so excited to welcome you, and so glad you are part of our family!


Gina

Monday, October 29, 2012

Mealplan Monday #32 with a basket at the sink

I wish all projects were as simple as taking one thing from somewhere in your house, sprucing it up with spray paint, and using it somewhere else. 

Monday - Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, peas
Tuesday - Bean and Bacon Mac, cheesy olive bread
Wednesday - Scout's Birthday!  Pizza, salad, cupcakes, munchies, fun
Thursday Chicken Tikka Masala, couscous, carrots
Friday - Smokey Turkey and Black Bean Soup, cornbread
Saturday - Dad grill
Sunday - Lasagna Hamburger Helper, corn (Bubbie cooks)


Gina

Friday, October 26, 2012

Bathroom blinds

Wednesday dawned and I still had not gone to Home Depot, purchased those blinds, and hung them.  I had a bad case of The Lazies.
 I think I was just avoiding the inevitable - me taking all day to do what hubby could have done in an hour. 
What started the whole process was this broken pull string.  These blinds are 15 plus years old - it was bound to happen.  There's a broken one in the den, too.  But at least when I order those, they will snap onto the hooks we already have and I will hang them the same.  Not these.
 
 I started by removing the old blinds and cleaning the walls.
Taking the hardware out of the walls carefully was a pain.  I had to stand on the ledges around the tub and I made a big mess with bits of drywall falling.  Sugar admired the view afterwards.  Hanging outside the windows is fabric sunshade - that will have to be moved a bit closer in to the windows. 
I have no scrap wallpaper leftover from the builders.  So I was careful to patch the holes and repair seams that had loosened.  I think I did good on that - Hubby couldn't even tell where they'd been.  I also used seam sealer to repair some paper that was pulling away from the walls.
I know the color looks dark here, but it's really pretty.  A version of what's painted in the master bedroom, and with a sand color tile in here it will be so much more relaxing, less jarring than all that white.
There's a long story that goes with the color I chose.  Just believe me when I said my choices were limited.  Actually, this color, "Truffle" by Bali, is growing on me.  And the bonus is it won't look nasty quite as fast as those white ones.
Another slight problem - this lip from the tile around the tub.  No wonder the previous owner chose to hang the blinds outside of the window boxes. 
 See?  So much white.
I took the opportunity to freshen up my glass vase with some silver paint.  It dried in a flash.  And did you know Windex will remove spray paint dust off glass just fine?  Yup. 

I also spruced up a little wire basket and whittled down my bath supplies to the essentials.  
Its dark in here so you will have to imagine it:  
a clean fresh, elegant bathroom. 
Procrastination managed.


Gina

Monday, October 22, 2012

Mealplan Monday #31 and a plan for all that cereal

Remember the smorgasbord cereal box I used to have going?  When it got too full, I made Compost Cookies.  Well, the boys decided they would rather not have crazy mixed-up cereal and quit eating it.  I could either make a crap ton of those cookies, or just toss it all out and buy new cereal.  I resisted as long as I could.  But in the end, I decided to toss the old mixed-up cereal.  You can't win every battle on the home front.
Now I just save the leftover cereal, in the original liners, and store it in a basket. I set the whole basket on the table on cereal days and what you see is what you get. When the basket is empty, I buy more cereal.  It seems to work out better this way.  No one is refusing the cereal, and it doesn't get stale.  
Too bad about the cookies, though.  I liked them.

Monday - Apple and Sage Pork Chops with butternut squash, rice
Tuesday -Stir fry with ramen, take-out crab rangoon
Wednesday - Navy Bean Soup, quesadillas
Thursday - Chicken Tettrazini, salad
Friday - Chicken strips, BBQ beans (boys go camping)
Saturday - YOYO
Sunday - Crock Pot Mexican Chili, Fritos



What's great about these colorful baskets from Dollar Tree is that they are cheap and easy to use in a pantry.  No chalkboard label required.


Gina

Friday, October 19, 2012

The Girls' 21st birthday

I asked The Girl what kind of cake she wanted for her 21st birthday...she said "I'll get back to you".  She never did...so I made the executive decision to make a Heath cake.
 Simple, but so good.  No real recipe required.  Just assemble a chocolate cake and bake it.  Poke holes in it while it's warm:
 Then mix a small jar of caramel topping with half a can of sweetened condensed milk and pour it over the warm cake.
 Refrigerate it.  Then, when it's cooled, top it with whipped cream or Cool Whip and some crushed Heath bars.
It seems like we celebrate The Girl's birthday later and later nowadays.  Between college, working, and sorority life, she doesn't make it home often.  We enjoyed a home cooked meal with her favorites: pork chops, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and rolls.  And before you knew it, it was time to open gifts, eat cake, and see her off to Waco.
 
There was barely time for pictures, either!
We sent her off with a  giant slab of cake to share with her roomies, 
and plenty of hugs and kisses.
Where did 21 years go? 
******
How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~Dr. Seuss


Gina

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our family's favorite chocolate chip cookies have a none-too-popular ingredient nowadays:  Crisco.  But from my experience, shortening does a better job of making chewy cookies that stay fresher longer and have a better texture. I'm not the only one who thinks Crisco is just fine.  And just get an eye load of my cookies!
They turn out perfectly bumpy, don't spread out so they are nice and plump. 
Plus they keep longer.  Win, win, win.
 
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 stick butter flavor Crisco or 3/4 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 T. milk
1 T. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
3/4 t. baking soda
1 c. chocolate chips, m&m's*
1 c. chopped pecans


Beat shortening and brown sugar 'til light and fluffy; beat in vanilla, milk, and egg.  Stir dry ingredients together, then blend into wet.  Chill well.  Heat oven to 375. Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes for chewy, 11-13 for crisp.  Cool two minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to plate.  *Today I used the rest of some m&m's I had and half a bag of chocolate chips - no nuts.

I like butter same as anyone but these are delicious!


Gina

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Monday, October 15, 2012

Mealplan Monday #30 with crock pot ribs

This week I plan on getting some projects, big and small, done so the crock pot will be my best friend.
Last week I went through all of my clothes and got rid of stuff that didn't fit, or I would never wear again.  


Monday - Crock pot Cheesey Chicken Tater Tot Casserole, salad
Tuesday - Crock pot of pinto beans with leftover grilled pork tenderloin added in, cornbread
Wednesday - Crock pot Country Tender and Tangy Ribs, mac and cheese, green beans
Thursday -  Crock pot Lemon Chicken , couscous, broccoli
Friday - Beef Taco Bake, salad
Saturday - Dad grill
Sunday - Italian sausage and pasta, corn


Try these in your crock pot.  You will thank me.

Crock Pot Tender and Tangy Ribs
3/4 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. ketchup
2 T brown sugar
2 T Worchestershire
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t. paprika
1 t. ground mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 lbs. country style beef ribs

Brown the ribs in hot oil in the skillet and lay them in the crock pot.  Combine the first 9 ingredients and pour over the meat.  Cook on low 6 hours or until tender.


Happy Crocktober!


Gina

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Pizza Muffin Cups

 
I have seen this idea in magazines and on blogs and thought it sounded perfect for little kids - but as it turns out, big kids like 'em, too and they are prefect for school lunches!  I started out by making pizza dough - go here for a great all-purpose recipe.
Let your dough rise, covered, in a warm place for about an hour.
Then grease a muffin tin, sprinkle a little cornmeal into each muffin cup in the pan and divide up your dough by 12.  That cornmeal makes them non-stick and adds a nice crunch to the bottom of the muffin.
Make a flattened circle of dough out of each portion and gently press into each muffin cup.
Choose your pizza fillings - I had no pepperoni, but bacon is a great substitute!  You could also do ham, chopped bell pepper or mushrooms, olives...whatever you like on your pizza.  I also just use spaghetti sauce for pizza - I can't tell the difference.
Load up your little pizza cups and press the filling down slightly with your fingers.
I used a spoonful of sauce and just eyeballed how much filling to put in.
The dough will rise up over it a bit.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Let cool a bit.  Then eat, or wrap in foil and freeze for the kids to pack their own lunches.  
They aren't messy at all - a big plus in my book.  
Easy to pack, easy to eat, pretty darn tasty!


Gina

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Monday, October 8, 2012

Mealplan Monday #29 and some great new pillows

I made myself a little crazy last week, doing multiple errands on different days.  I usually group them so I can save sanity, time, and gas.  While I was out I found some new pillows for the couch.

Monday - Marmalade Chicken Curry, rice, peas
Tuesday - Lentil Soup, quesadillas
Wednesday - Pumpkin Ziti*, garlic bread
Thursday - L.O. Freezer BBQ, Loaded Mashed Potatoes, salad
Friday - Mom p/u pizza
Saturday - Dad grill
Sunday - L.O. freezer Pinto Bean Casserole, salad
*An HEB recipe - will share soon!


 
 Aren't these nice?  $15 for the pair and they are big and Fall-looking, with sort of a wool look to them.  And they go well with the brown leather couch.  


Gina