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Monday, October 31, 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN......


my scary little trick or treater..........HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!


I'm still trying to adjust my cooking schedule around hubby's new schedule. I'm trying to get into the habit of always having an extra meal in the fridge. Today I made baked chicken breasts,sweet potatoes, and peas for his "work supper". After we visited a few neighbors for treats, I made a pot of HAPPY HUSBAND CHILI for tomorrow's meal and some PUMPKIN CHILI for me. It was the first time I had made pumpkin chili and it turned out great.I can't wait to eat it!

PUMPKIN CHILI
chicken stock
1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1pound ground turkey
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
salt/pepper/allspice

Cook turkey until done--drain---rinse beans and add to the turkey----add in the can of pumpkin and stir well---if desired,add chicken stock a little at a time to thin out the chili--add salt/pepper/allspice to your taste......

****The original recipe called for the "usual" chili ingredients including tomatoes/onions/etc but i forgot the onions LOL and am allergic to tomatoes,so I made some changes....

Sunday, October 30, 2011

a few pics from our backyard.......


Dang it! If only I could get over this fence so I could play with those squirrels!







Sunday, October 23, 2011

a rough couple of weeks.....

The past few weeks have been rough. We found out that my oldest sister has acute myeloid leukemia. That really threw me for a loop. After she had the first dr appointment with the oncologist,things sounded more hopeful. The dr said that if it would have happened 10+ years ago,she would have less than a year to live. But that now treatments have gotten better and they think they caught it early. She works in the radiology department at a local hospital too,so that could have played a part in it,too. She is going to have to take a chemo pill monthly for the rest of her life. Thankfully,she has good insurance through her work plus that of her late husband. The pill costs $9500--but with everything,her cost will be $70. She has really had a hard time the past few years. She lost her husband,found out she had colon cancer and had surgery for that, and has had to deal with both of her sons being in prison for drugs. She is strong,though. She looks at this as just another test of life. She has a good outlook on things.

So with all of these things coming up in the family,our doctors are having each of the siblings tested for different things. I have several appointments scheduled between now and the end of the year. I really dread it all. I'm trying not to get stressed about it,but how can you not,you know? And then there is the normal stresses of the upcoming holidays. Each year,I tell myself that I'm not going to get stressed out by the calendar. I'm going to take things slow and not over-commit to things I know I can't handle-even though I might want to. I'm going to slow down and take care of myself and my family. And this year,I'm going to do it!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Double Mocha Cappuccino



I'm not a big coffee drinker,but I do love a good cappuccino-especially when the temps drop. The current brand that I am particularly fond of is HILLS BROTHERS DOUBLE MOCHA CAPPUCCINO (sugar free). I've been out about 3 weeks now and am about to go through withdrawals. I do have other brands in my pantry,but it's just not the same. The store that I shop at has been out for weeks now. I filled out a complaint today. LOL I hope they get the hint and re-stock soon.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Cheeseburger Quiche......




This turned out to be a big hit! The leftovers were eaten at breakfast and there will probably be a friendly fight at lunch over the last few slices. It's delicious. I can't wait to play around with it and try new spices.I found the original recipe in a FAMILY CIRCLE magazine.


Cheeseburger Quiche

1freezer pie crust
1pound ground beef/chicken/turkey
1/4 cup ketchup
1TBS worcestershire sauce
diced onion
2 cups baby spinach
1cup grape tomatoes cut in half
salt/pepper to taste
5 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2TBS dijon mustard
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

heat oven to 400*F--blind bake the pie shell for about 12mins---while shell is baking,cook meat and onion until done-drain,place into a large bowl and stir in the ketchup,worcestershire sauce,and mustard---in same skillet as beef was cooked,add spinach and tomatoes-cook for about 3mins-season with satl/pepper--add into the beef mixture--mix well--pour into the pie crust and sprinkle with cheese--wisk eggs together until smooth and carefully pour over the beef---bake for about 30-40mins or until eggs are set and pie crust is deep brown.

****of course I adapted the recipe to leave out what I was allergic to and what I didn't have in the pantry---I also used a DEEP DISH PIE CRUST and my recipe made 2 (I did have to add more eggs)--it might also be helpful to place the pies onto a flat baking sheet when baking so in case you have any spillage it won't dirty up the bottom of your oven.And instead of mixing it all together,I kind of layered the spinach and cheese through out the pie.

Monday, October 3, 2011

I love getting a deal......

I have been wanting to get Tinkie a new dog-bed for a while now. Her old one was one that she had when she was still a puppy,and needless to say,her 19 pound butt had outgrown it. I had been looking at walmart,but just couldn't make up my mind on what style I wanted. This past weekend,I decided I needed more of a selection,so I went to petco. They had alot of things on clearance. I got a bag of greenies for 50% off and a HUGE "orthapedic" doggie bed for 50% off,too! I picked up an "I LOVE MY DOGGIE" footprint magnet for the car (maybe it will help me find it when I get lost in the parking lot) and a bag of oatmeal/cranberry bones. She's a happy,spoiled doggie!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

October 1st !!











HAPPY OCTOBER!!!! I'm making a shopping list today. I am in the mood for some cooking and baking---applesauce cake,pumpkin muffins,YUM! Kiddo and pup have been out in the backyard raking leaves so they could jump and play in them. Kiddo raked for about 10mins before declaring he was TOO TIRED and conned his dad into doing all the hard work. He jumped and buried himself in the leaves but quickly lost interest because he said the leaves were TOO ITCHY!