Valentines Day 2013

It was a low key Valentine's Day here at Camp Rustown, and I was suffering with allergies which made me feel like crawling back into bed, but I managed to stay awake long enough to make some treats for my peeps:  Strawberry Covered Chocolate Cake,

which was merely strawberry cake batter poured over brownie batter.  

 And these pretzel Hershey Hugs treats topped with dark chocolate M&M's.

I set out a pretty two-tiered dish with treats, popped a lasagna in the oven, and off Hubby and I went to Curra's for Salmon with nopalitos, shrimp in a garlic-y chile sauce, and avocado margaritas.  

We drove down Congress Ave. on our way home - such a pretty sight.  If you look real close you can see the Capitol.  I love where I live!

 

And today was a busy, yet really good day at work - hence the late posting.  Look - Lamme's brought all the unsold chocolate covered strawberries to the hospital!  

Gina

Hair he is

Scout has reached the point at which he no longer cares for his curly hair, and he doesn't want to cut it short.

 So he borrowed a straightener from his girlfriend.

 It doesn't matter to him that his older brother calls it a "Beiber-do".

 It doesn't matter that his sister and I tell him how cute he is with curly hair.

He is learning all about what HIS likes and dislikes are, and is taking control over those aspects of his life that he can.  Which I count as normal and natural for a 17 year old.  

 And he's getting older, so it seems natural for him to march to a different beat - be himself, go his own way, live life on (a few of) his own terms.

He's still the same Scout he always was - gentle, kind, sweet, and creative.  Hopefully, he won't cringe when he sees these pics someday!

Gina

Mealplan Monday #47 and Fruit Cocktail Cake

As promised I am including the recipe for Fruit Cocktail Cake.  The first cake I learned to make by myself! I was probably 14 or so.  My mother claims she doesn't remember this cake, but I remember making it in high school and college.

 Oh yum, yum, yum...especially when warm!

Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 can fruit cocktail (in juice, undrained)
(and I also put 1/2 shredded coconut, just because I had it)
and
1 T butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 t vanilla

 Heat the oven to 400, and spray Pam in a 13x9 baking dish.  Mix together sugar, flour, baking soda, vanilla, eggs, and fruit cocktail.

If your batter is too stiff to spread in a 13x9 pan, add a bit of water.  Bake for 35 minutes.

While it cools a bit, mix the butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth.  poke a few holes in the cake and pour this over the top.  Go find something to do while it cools!

Monday - Salsa Chicken, rice, Pico de gallo
Tuesday - Mediterranean Pork Chops, mashed potatoes, green beans
Wednesday - Omelettes, biscuits
Thursday - Freezer dinner for the boys, Mom and Dad out
Friday - Beef Lo Mein with rice and crunchy noodles, carrots
Saturday - Dad grill (fish?)
Sunday - BBQ chicken (in the crock) for sammies, chips, pickles, etc.

  

Gina 

Mealplan Monday #46 and Chocolate Cream Pie

Last week we helped Hubby celebrate his 52nd birthday.

He's fond of spending Nov. 21 through Jan. 31 saying he's married to "an older woman".  I made him a Chocolate Cream Pie with fresh whipped cream and Girardelli chocolate, by special request.

Monday - Pork and Peppers crockpot, rice, veggie
Tuesday - Meatballs with homemade marinara over linguini, salad
Wednesday -Turkey and gravy over biscuits, peas with mushrooms
Thursday - Freezer meal - Mom's choice
Friday - Chicken Divan Pot Pie (boys go camping)
Saturday - YOYO
Sunday - Burgers and tots

Gina

Tater Tot casserole

The original title of this recipe is "Healthier Tater Tot Casserole" from the Houston Chronicle.  I made this last week with minor changes - left out mushrooms this go-round.  The combo of veggies is labor-intensive to prep, but they make it sooo good!

Tater Tot Casserole

1 med. onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 med. carrots, peeled and diced
3/4 c. sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 pound ground turkey
S, P, 1 T paprika
1 2lb. bag frozen tater tots
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (low sodium or healthy version)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and get a deep 13x9 dish ready.  Saute the onion in the olive oil in a large skillet about 5 minutes.  Add the veggies and the turkey.  Cook, stirring on medium heat about 5 minutes more until the turkey is broken up and getting cooked; season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Lower the heat, cover it, and get the tots ready.

Mix the two cans of soup with a little water or milk, maybe a quarter of a can.  This will make it easier to get the tots all coated and spread out on top of the meat mixture.

Toss the tots in the soup quickly before they all clump up in a frozen glob!

Pour the hot meat mixture in the casserole dish,

and top with the tots.  A little cheese over the top never hurt anyone.  

Bake for about 50 minutes. 

The cheese doesn't overcook like you think it might - but if you wanted to, you could wait the last 10 minutes to put it on the top. 

It was saucy on the bottom, but if you let it sit to cool a bit, it gets a little thicker.  We couldn't wait that long to dig in and we don't mind that a bit.  The leftovers disappeared the next day!  

Gina

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Mealplan Monday #45 and some fun thrifting

Thrifting was pretty fun last week 

 

A cute red and white long sleeve tee for moi, a Christmas pillow, a mug, a pretty china dish, and a small tripod for Hubby's digital camera. 

Monday - Broccoli cheese Scalloped Potatoes with sausage, oven carrots
Tuesday -Mexican Breakfast Casserole, fruit salad
Wednesday - Chicken Pilau, garlic toast, spinach
Thursday - Mom and Dad OUT for his birthday, boys get pizza
Friday -  freezer Turkey Sloppy Joes, fries
Saturday - freezer pulled pork for tacos, black beans
Sunday - Bean and Cheese Chalupas with sour cream, salsa, guacamole

I was so excited to see this Avon mug marked to 50 cents.  I had one just like it for years until one of my dear ones broke it.  Weeks later I was cleaning behind the fridge and found a chunk of it.  Evidence!  Hopefully this one can survive as long as the last one did.

Gina

Kitchen cannister up-cycle

Some months back I purchased these very cute owl jars for my kitchen counter from Kirkland's. 

I love the colors and the shapes - and they are empty, yes, because just having them sit there makes me smile!

 What to do with the old ones, ca. 1995 from Target?  The seals have long since failed, so they are really only good for display. 

I was thinking I could paint the lids and use them to store some small treasures.

I

Bubbie is really into collecting things - he used to bring home interesting rocks that he found in the school yard.  So cute.  He has a few shells, lots of marbles, the rock collection, and about a million tiny toys and mementos in a "junk box".

I think these cannisters are just perfect for displaying his stuff.  I sanded the lids, removed a couple of groddy rubber seals, and painted the lids with a soap and water washable enamel from Rustoleum.  It dies really fast - perfect for impatient people like me!

Marbles just naturally look fun in a jar.

The tall jar has tiny toys from Happy Meals and various mementos.  

In his room there is a shelf for toys and knick knacks, one for books, another two for mementos.  Bubbie is a great reader and loves to have a couple of books going at the same time.

I love him and his collections and hope he likes his new up-cycled storage jars!

Gina

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