Christmas Is Coming

And I'm finished making my cards!!! These are just a few of my favorites. I made 60 cards this year! Wow!

The Cutest Little Cowgirl!

How cute are these?

A Letter to Orville Redenbacher / Con Agra Foods

So, I just got an air popcorn popper, because it was so much cheaper to buy popping corn than microwave, not to mention healthier. Anyway, I bought some Orville Redenbacher popping corn to use in it. I was so displeased that I had to write to Con Agra. Here's my letter:

I recently purchased Oville Redenbacher's Original Gourmet Popping Corn to use in my hot air popcorn popper. I was very disappointed with the results. Of the recommended 1/2 cup of kernels that I put in the popping chamber, only half popped. I tried several different methods to get them to pop more efficiently, such as: heating up the popper prior to adding the kernels, using less and more than the recommended amounts, heating the kernels slightly in the butter cup. The issue seems to be with this particular brand of popcorn kernels, as the other brands that I have all pop fine. The Orville Redenbacher's seems to pop so violently that they ricochet the majority of the other unpopped kernels out with them. Please advise if there is a better method of popping this in the air popper. I await your response.

On the upside, I did purchase some really nice blue popping corn that popped up so nicely! I made up two batches of Harvest popcorn. It's really delicious. Try it out!

Harvest Popcorn
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp lemon pepper marinade (I used dry)
1 1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 quarts popped popcorn

Combine first 7 ingredients, and mix well. Pour over popcorn, and mix well. Bake at 350° or until lightly browned, stirring once, if desired.

So, I'm a total slacker

I know that I haven't been blogging. Or posting on the forum. Or doing much other than work. I'm a slacker. I did manage to do some baking today though, so we now have some blueberry banana muffins, pizza dough, and fresh crackers! I will get back on, and posting soon!

Phelps Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy - Geneology

No Tantalizing Tuesday

Sorry, I'm still recovering from my ER trip yesterday. I'll try and get up the recipe ASAP! I know that you've been coming and checking every few minutes to see if its up.... hehehehehehehe.

For the love of Pete, It's still SEPTEMBER

I went to Lowes the other day, and they have CHRISTMAS TREES up. CHRISTMAS TREES!!!!! DH says that they should just leave them up year round and be done with it. I mean, seriously! What is up with that?????

Hey Advertisers,
We get it. The economy is bad. We know that the Christmas season is your biggest time of year. You plan for this all year long. I mean, I haven't even put up my Halloween decorations yet, and you're trying to sell me Christmas crap. Now I do love Christmas, and I am starting to think about gifts, but not decorating. Put that crap away!!! Please don't start shoving it down our throats until at least after Halloween.

A Special Saturday

Well, after working on a special work project until 1:00 on Friday, we decided to have some family time on Saturday.

We've been dying to try out this new restaurant, Wasabi Buffet, for some time now, and we were able to stop in and catch some lunch there. After which, we tried to go to BK to let Melissa play in the play area, but after a few short minutes there, we decided that it was better left for when she's older, as it was just too big for her.

After her nap, we went to the park and played! She loves the park so much, and just ran from one thing to the next. We decided to go ahead and walk to downtown where they were having the classic car show. I got a great picture of the sunset over the lake.

Melissa loved looking at the cars. She has been into cars, and watching the movie Cars a lot, and will just point and say Cars!! She learned a few new words, Edelbrock, Holley and Rat Rod. She also got to push her umbrella stroller all along the lake walk!

We really enjoyed the nice breeze, and finally a nice enough night to be out. We can't wait until the weather cools off some more so that we can spend some more nights out as a family.

A Local Restaurant Review -- Wasabi Buffet

We've been looking for some decent chinese food since our local favorite, China Lane, closed up. The restaurant has 4 seperate buffets. The obligatory "salad" bar with some fruit and desserts and ice cream, The Full Chinese bar which had a good selection of several classic dishes, The Seafood bar, I mostly stayed away from that one, and a Sushi Bar.
I had a bit of everything, and DH had some sushi. I had been craving some egg foo young, and that was one of the first things that I grabbed. It seemed reminiscient of a funnel cake, but with veggies in it. Giving it the benefit of the doubt, I added some sauce. Normally it is served with a lovely gravy, but this was barely even sauce. It had a hint of the flavor of the normal gravy, but it was disappointing. I decided that the Egg foo young was more like a tempura. Next up, was the General Tsao's Chicken. Now, this was very good. Sweet, but it had a good spicy kick to follow up. Fried Rice.....not so much. Just some yellow rice with veggies in it. Next up, wonton soup. I found it odd that they even had this on the buffet at all. They usually don't put those types of things out, as there are certain types of people that will take a bowl full of wontons and no broth. Lucky for me, someone decided to put it out there. The wontons were perfect. DH and I were split on the pot stickers. I thought that they were pretty good. They had a good flavor, but they didn't have any of the sauce to dip them. DH tried them with soy sauce, and thought that they were bland. Melissa enjoyed the Green Beans which were a perfect al dente and some chicken and broccoli. I was also really hoping to have a good eggroll, but alas my search continues. DH has been branching out and tried several of the california rolls, which he enjoyed. They did have peel and eat shrimp, and oysters on the half shell as well as the california rolls and a small selection of hand rolls. All in all, the food was good, the service was outstanding, and we will probably go again for lunch. The adult lunch buffet was $6.75. I will mention that this is a brand new restaurant, and therefore is still quite clean. The one thing that did bother me was that they were making dumplings in the dining room, and cleaning green beans. They didn't have hair nets on, or gloves, and I think that the health department might have written them up for that.

Plastic Bags and The Price of Gas

Are these things tied together? They are!

According to Vincent Coob, about 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year and are causing a global epidemic. The enormous demand for plastic bags ties into the surging global demand for oil -- plastic bags are made from ethylene, a petroleum byproduct. In the United States alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make plastic bags that Americans consume.

According to the EPA, only 1% of plastic bags were recycled in 2000. When one ton of plastic bags is reused as something else other than plastic bags or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved.

According to the UK government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, there are several problems with plastic recycling, and in particular plastic bags:

1. The high volume to weight ratio of plastic means that the collection and transport of this waste is difficult and expensive
   
2. There are often high levels of contamination in plastic making the recyclate less usable, especially where food products are involved


3. There is a very wide range of plastics in use and segregation is difficult
   the market for using recycled plastic is underdeveloped
   

There's harsh economics behind bag recycling: It costs $4,000 to process and recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can then be sold on the commodities market for $32.

So now I ask you this.....What are you doing?

We use cloth bags for groceries. We use cloth diapers as much as possible. I use family cloth and cloth pads. We use very few paper towels, and plenty of unpaper towels. We recycle.

Leave me a comment with what you're doing, and I'll choose one winner and send you out one of my reuseable produce bags.

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Tantalizing Tuesday Blue Ribbon Cranberry Chicken

Well, it turned out okay, so here's the recipe! For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, this post will reveal all.

Blue Ribbon Cranberry Chicken

From The Really Long Titled Slow Cooker Magazine

2 1/2 to 3 lbs chicken, cut up (I used 6 breasts)

16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce

8 oz bottle Russian salad dressing

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine cranberry sauce, salad dressing and soup mix. Pour over chicken. Cover and chill 1 - 8 hours or overnight. Cook on high 4 hours or on high 1 hour and then on low 5 - 7 hours. Serve chicken and sauce over noodles or rice.

Changes:

Okay. I didn't read the recipe all the way. I put my frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker. I didn't rinse them or refrigerate the whole thing. I didn't have the cranberry sauce, so I used instead, strawberry jello (didn't have any cranberry) and about 12 oz. of fresh (frozen)cranberries. My chicken was a lovely pink shade, but it tasted quite good. Would I personally recommend using my exact same method? Maybe, if you had to. We did eat leftovers for a few days, and Melissa liked it. She actually ate all of the chicken we gave her and asked for more. I might try this again the correct way.

All alone

Melissa is staying with Nana and Pap Pap tonight, so we're all alone. It's nice, but kind of sad for me at least. No squeezy hugs and no kisses goodnight. No waking up early tomorrow though. I did get 2 bags sewed up. And I didn't have to share any of my ice cream. Being a parent is hard. I called to talk to her and tell her goodnight and she was crying. It broke my heart. The last time I was away from her was just before Christmas when I was in New York. I feel lost in the house without her. I don't know what to do with myself.

I took a picture of a little lizard guy that was hanging out at the back door. These things used to give me the heeby jeebies, but I think I've finally gotten used to them (mostly).

I also got a couple of pictures of my orchids. DH can't call me orchid killer anymore. I've done really well with these two plants that I bought last year. I have a ton more of keikis in the window sill that need to be potted. This is the second time that they've bloomed this year. My poor purple one was eaten last time it put out a spike by the monster grasshoppers. I have made it my mission to kill them all.

In case you were wondering, the Purple one is a Dendrobium, and the Yellow one is a Oncidium. They're both pretty easy to grow and good for beginners. I usually get phalaenopsis, which is the typial orchid that you're used to seeing. For some reason I have the worst time keeping them alive.

Meeting Friends

We took a little trip south today to visit with a friend who was in town from Texas!! We had a great time eating some Chick-Fil-A and catching up. I think the kids had an even better time playing in the playground! At least until another older kid came in and scared Melissa.




Isn't that picture funny? I love how the adults are the only ones looking at the camera, and the kids are all looking at something else. I also like the Eat Mor Chikin car in the background!! LOL!! And I have to say that DH really knows how to take a picture at chest level. I think he just likes to make the boobs look waaaaay bigger than they are.

It's All Fun and Games

This is a spectacular waste of time! Hope you have a few hours....

Dinner Surprise

Did you ever have the intention of making something really great to eat for dinner, and you went and bought special items for it just to realize that you should have really read the recipe better, when you go to assemble it? I am testing out a recipe for Tantalizing Tuesday, and I thought that we had all the items on the list, but I guess cranberries aren't the same as whole cranberry sauce. Oops. And the recipe said to combine everything and let it sit overnight and then cook it. Hmmm. Well, I substituted some strawberry jello and whole fresh (frozen) cranberries for the sauce. The chicken is a little scary looking......it is a florescent pink. It reminded me of this. It tastes pretty good, so if it's edible you can expect the recipe, substitutions and all on Tuesday!

Just when I though the swelling was gone....

It just comes up in another place. I had this horrible swollen spot in my mouth that was caused by biting my lip, about 3 months ago. Which I continued to bite every day 3 - 4 times a day, because.....it was swollen. Talk about Murphy's law. Well, it is finally down to a small enough size that I haven't bitten it really hard in a couple of days. It MAY just go away. But this morning I woke up with my right eye all swollen underneath. As if I don't have enough problems with dark circles, this just adds to the fun. I'm hoping that it's just irritated, or maybe I smacked myself in the face while I slept or something. **Snort** When's the last time you hoped that you smacked yourself in the face?

Sarah Palin's "Bridge to Nowhere"

I have to comment about this as well. While I respect the fact that she's a working mother, I have serious questions about her. Does the term flip-flopper ring a bell? Sounds like a typical politician to me. Saying your for something to get elected, and changing your mind once you're in office. Why couldn't she just tell the truth, and say that she made a bad decision?

http://www.johnmccain.com/about/governorpalin.htm

In office, Governor Palin championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending. She has used her veto pen to eliminate nearly a half a billion dollars in wasteful spending. She told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for the "Bridge to Nowhere."

http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed7/idUSN3125537020080901

In the city Ketchikan, the planned site of the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere," political leaders of both parties said the claim was false and a betrayal of their community, because she had supported the bridge and the earmark for it secured by Alaska's Congressional delegation during her run for governor.

When she was running for governor in 2006, Palin said she was insulted by the term "bridge to nowhere," according to Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein, a Democrat, and Mike Elerding, a Republican who was Palin's campaign coordinator in the southeast Alaska city.
"People are learning that she pandered to us by saying, I'm for this' ... and then when she found it was politically advantageous for her nationally, abruptly she starts using the very term that she said was insulting," Weinstein said.

"She said 'thanks but no thanks,' but they kept the money," said Elerding about her applause line.

Tantalizing Tuesday Mushroom Chicken in Sour Cream Sauce

I must preface this recipe. I HATE mushrooms. With a passion. I cannot bring myself to eat fungus. I used to be able to eat portabello mushrooms, but since it's been a long time, I doubt that I could stomach it. The only time I will eat them is if it's by mistake, or I can't see them. This was a decent recipe, sans mushrooms for me. DH ate 2 chicken breasts.

Mushroom Chicken in Sour Cream Sauce
from Fix-It and Forget-It Slow-Cooker Magic

1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
6 skinless chicken breast halves
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. container sour cream
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms

Combine salt, pepper, paprika, lemon pepper and garlic powder. Rub over chicken. Place in slow cooker. Combine soup, sour cream and wine. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high 5 hours or on high 1 hour and then on low 5 - 7 hours.

My changes......
Here's the truth. I don't measure those spices. I just season to what looks good. Honestly if you've been cooking for any amount of time, you know how much seasoning to put in. I only put in 4 chicken breasts which were frozen. I didn't rub them. I just sprinkled the seasoning over the top. I ended up with a TON of sauce, so I would probably cut back on the sour cream and wine to about 1/2. I used cream of chicken soup because we are really low on mushroom and as previously mentioned, I hate mushrooms. I also added some of the chicken seasoning that I made. You can find the recipe here. And use the wine. The alcohol evaporates, so you don't have to worry about drunken children.

Politics.....

I don't usually post about politics, but I find this very interesting. DH and I completely disagree as to who should be the next leader of this country, but he isn't a registered voter.

I am a registered Democrat, but have voted Republican in many elections. I can completely understand changing your position once you have learned the ramifications of your decision, but this is just ridiculous.

A Patriot Day Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
Today is a difficult day. The memories are painful and some of the wounds I fear may never heal. Yet I pray you will help me to go on living for truth, firm in my hope of your salvation. May I live for you, Lord, and by doing so, be an example to my friends and family. I pray, just like Jesus, I may learn obedience through these things that I have suffered. Help me not to question why, yet even if I do, give me courage to continue to trust you. Help me take the comfort and strength you've poured into my life and use it to comfort and strengthen others who need hope. I pray I might become a better person and help make the world a better place because of this terrible event. Thank you for the heroes that gave so sacrificially on September 11. Help me to remember their courage and learn from them. May the family that they left behind feel your loving arms around them.May the evil of that day cause me and my family to work harder to do good on this Earth and to bring your light into the dark places. Amen.

Tantalizing Tuesday No Peeking Beef Tips

No Peeking Beef Tips from Fix-It and Forget-It Slow-Cooker Magic

2 pounds stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1.25 oz. envelope dry onion soup mix
12 oz can lemon lime soda
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
Cooked Rice or Egg noodles

Cook meat in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Place meat in slow cooker. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over meat. Combine soda and cream of mushroom soup over meat, beinc areful not to disturb the onion soup mix. Cover and cook on high 4 hours, and server over rice or noodles. Variation: For a creamier version, replace soda with 1 cup of sour cream.

Changes!!! Okay, nothing is ever good unless you SEASON IT!!!!!! Cook your meat, but be sure to season to taste with some salt and pepper. Then throw it into your crock pot. I added a diced onion because onion is good, and sauted it till cooked, and deglazed the pan with some red wine. Then put the onions in the crockpot and poured over the onion soup mix. I mixed the soda and the soup together, and then poured it over the meat. VERY IMPORTANT! DO NOT taste the soup and soda mix. It will gross you out and you will wonder what I'm getting you in to. I added 2 big Tbsp of Sour cream to the mix to make it a bit creamier. I also cooked this on low for about 6 hours instead of on high. I also added some frozen peas during the last 15 minutes and turned it up on high, for a 1 dish dinner (for the most part).

Canon House Party!!

I am so excited!! I was chosen to have a Get Creative with Canon House Party, where scrapbooking fun and creativity will be center stage!!!! Check out my party page here.....http://houseparty.com/party/75772

You can sign up for awesome FREE parties like this too! You will receive amazing discounts and free stuff from brands you know and love. All you have to do is host a party with a few friends and family in your own home. It's a lot of fun. Just go to http://www.houseparty.com/

Who are YOU voting for?

So you think you know who you're voting for? Are you sure that your views are the same as your candidate? Take this little quiz to find out who you really match up with.

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/index.php

Your Science Lesson For the Day

Why does helium make your voice sound higher?

http://dsc.discovery.com/video/index.html?playerId=203711706&categoryId=210013704&lineupId=229524134&titleId=1717866549

Why does Neil laugh like a little girl when he hears this?

Tantalizing Tuesday Crockpot Honey Baked Chicken

Do you ever find yourself in a food rut? I have been bored with what I cook for dinner lately, and haven't been doing my menu planning. I know it's very naughty, because we end up eating junk or ordering something which is so pricey! I went to the grocery store today to pick up some essentials, and picked up a magazine at the checkout. Fix-It and Forget-It Slow-Cooker Magic! I paid waaaaaay too much for it, but seeing as it has "OVER 250 GREAT RECIPES" I figured it was cheaper than a book. So, today I bring you the Honey Baked Chicken.

Honey Baked Chicken
Makes 4 Servings

4 skinless bone-in chicken breast halves (eew who buys bone in anymore? I used boneless)
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
2 Tbsp. Honey
2 tsp. prepared mustard
2 tsp. Curry powder

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and add chicken. Combine Butte, honey, mustad and cury powder in a small bowl. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on high 1 hour and then on low 5 hours or more.

Changes.....because I can.
I left out the butter all together, and didn't bother with spraying the crock. What's the point? I also added salt and pepper, and one sliced onion. I subbed half of the honey for Agave Nectar, because it's better for you.

This is currently cooking, but it smells delicious!! I even put the chicken in frozen. I'll post the picture tonight when it's done, but this is definitely a winner. I will be adding this to the list.

Look for more yummy recipes from my new inspiration coming soon.

Melissa's 2 year Pictures!

Tantalizing Tuesday Applesauce Oat Muffins

Yummy Applesauce Oat Muffins

Makes 12 - 14 muffins

1 1/2 cups Flour Use half all purpose and half whole wheat! It won't kill you.

1/2 cup Ground Flax Seed

3/4 cup Oats

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Applesauce

1 cup Milk -- I used SOY

1/2 cup Raisins

1 Banana

Preheat oven to 400°F, Blend together all dry ingredients in a lage mixing bowl. Combine all liquid ingredients in a seperate bowl. Gradually add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. Blend slowly until throughly mixed. Do not over mix. Fill paper lined muffin tins with batter 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 13 - 15 minutes. Cool.

As with any of my recipes, you can leave out the flax and use all flour. But why would you? Flax is good for you!

Tip: Use a large ice cream scoop with the little handle to fill your muffin tins. Like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Grips-Trigger-Cream-Scoop/dp/B00004OCIW/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1218656104&sr=1-8

If you're using a stoneware muffin pan, you will need to lightly grease the pan so the muffins come out, since there is no oil in this recipe. :)

Happy 2nd Birthday to my sweet Melissa!

It's been two whole years since you joined us! You've grown and learned so much! We love you!

Infertility

What is infertility?

in·fer·til·i·ty (ĭn'fər-tĭl'ĭ-tē) not fertile; unproductive; sterile; barren
n. 1. Absent or diminished fertility. 2. The persistent inability to conceive a child after persistent attempts over a given period of time, usually one year in humans.

It is all of those things and so much more. It's seeing your friends and family have children when you have none. It's not going to baby showers because you don't want to deal with the hurt. It's people telling you to relax and it will happen. To quit trying and you'll get there. But you don't.

Even worse, it's going though treatments. And temping, and for some pills and shots and procedures. It's a longing in your heart. A painful stab to your soul. But most of all it's heartache.



27 months we tried. A relatively short period of time for me. For some it takes 5, 6, 7, 10 years. Some will never bear a child. Others have children that are born in their hearts instead.

I spent a year going to Dr. B. He prescribed Clomid, and off I went. At the time I had no idea that you should be monitered, and have your lining checked. And bloodwork. I went through several months of taking Clomid at 50mg, 100mg and 150mg. We wasted a year taking pills that did nothing. So I finally changed doctors. My new doctor immediately diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS.

Polycystic ovarian disease PCOD is an endocrine disorder that affects approximately 5% of all women . It occurs amongst all races and nationalities, is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age, and is a leading cause of infertility. The principal features are weight problems, lack of regular ovulation and/or menstruation, and excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones. The symptoms and severity of the syndrome vary greatly between women. While the causes are unknown, insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity are all strongly correlated with PCOS.

Dr. W prescribed Glucophage or Metformin (generic name). I had all the characteristics of PCOS without the cysts on my ovaries. She said it was Insulin Resistance. The medicine was terrible. I had a difficult time adjusting to it. For most people it has a laxative effect. But, I kept on it, and it eventually subsided. The first month there was no success. The second month we added Clomid at 50mg, and I had an early miscarriage. The third month we did Clomid again at 50mg, and that resulted in a pregnancy!

I was lucky to find a wonderful group of friends through the internet. Even though the site we all started out on has changed hands, gone and reappeared, we have all remained close. Most I have never met, and probably never will (but I hope to). Support was the best thing. Being able to have someone who understood. Someone who knew it was a medical reason why I couldn't conceive.

If you're struggling with infertility, there are a lot of resources out there. And there is always a virtual shoulder of someone who's been there.

http://www.soulcysters.com/
http://www.pcosupport.org/
http://www.4woman.gov/FAQ/pcos.htm

Some women do find luck with several herbal combinations. Natural Progesterone Cream, and Vitex do seem to help with PCOS. You should check with your doctor for their recommendations.

Tomorrow will be 2 years since Melissa was born. It was such a wonderful miracle when she came into the world. I struggled with infertility for 2 long years before her conception. The pain will never go away.

Welcome Everyone!

I just wanted to say hello to everyone here looking for information on Michael Phelps! While we are not related to him, we are very appreciative of the publicity because it has given us the wonderful gift of helping people pronounce our last name!!!

We are also following his swimming in the Olympics. What an incredible talent! We were able to catch him last night and saw him win 2 gold medals!

Tantalizing Tuesday Fried Rice

Fried Rice

Approx 6 cups of leftover rice My preference is Basmati Rice, as it cooks up nicely and doesn't clump up after it is refrigerated.
1 - 2 Eggs
1 onion, diced
3 - 4 Chicken Breasts sliced. You may also used a Chinese Pork. If you have a local asian food market ask for Char Su, prounounced Cha - Su, or Barbecued Pork
1 Can Baby Corn
1 Can Bamboo Shoots
1 Can Sliced Water Chestnuts
2 - 3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables or fresh steamed veggies
Soy Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Sesame Seeds
Peanut Butter
Sesame Oil
Garlic & Onion Powder
Ginger
Salt & Pepper

Okay, Take your rice, and marinate for at least 30 minutes with
1 tsp. soy sauce,
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
2 tsp. Teriyaki Sauce
2 tsp. Oyster Sauce
1 tsp. Hoisin Sauce
2 tsp. Sesame Oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Ginger, powdered or fresh
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

Scramble your eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Cook your chicken, and season with a bit of teriyaki, soy sauce, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce. Set aside with the eggs.
Cook your onions, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside with chicken. Combine Baby Corn, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots with chicken.

Heat up your pan with a dab of peanut butter and about 3 Tbsp. of sesame oil. Be sure not to burn the peanut butter, and don't add too much oil, or it will be very oily. Add your rice, and fry. You can't really mess this step up, because you really want the rice crispy. Let it sit in the pan for a few minutes, and then turn the rice to brown it evenly. When the rice is sufficiently "fried" Add chicken mix, and frozen or steamed veggies. Cook till heated thoroughly. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Help, We're locked in the Bedroom!

Ok, so funny story. Melissa and I were hanging out in the bedroom after getting up on Saturday. Little Miss isn't quite up to par on her listening skills yet, and after numerous times of me telling her not to, she shut the bedroom door. No big deal, right? WRONG. By some wonderful twist of fate, at the exact same time she shut the door, the doorknob broke. Lucky for us, Neil was out helping his sister move, so he wasn't home to get us out. So, my first instinct is.......to freak out! And then we laughed about it. And then I freaked out. I pulled as hard as I could on the door and nothing. Apparently the little plastic sleeve that holds the middle part (I know I am so technical) disintegrated, effectively rendering the doorknob useless. So we had to wait. For someone to go to DH's sisters house and give him a car, since his truck was packed up with their stuff, and then he had to drive home to unscrew the knob from the outside. Of course, I could have climbed out the window and gone around the front, but what was the point of that? I'd just be outside with the baby and no key to my own house, since my keys were in the living room. So we sat there and watched Nickelodeon and waited. And Melissa decided it was a wonderful time to go poopy. I did get to have some nice chats with family while we waited, though. Because what else are you going to do in a 10 x 10 room with a king size bed and a 2 year old? Needless to say, we haven't replaced the doorknob yet. And I am going to be putting a key somewhere outside.

And you got here how?

Have you noticed that I have been getting some wacky places visiting my blog? Maybe its because I'm such a good blogger with a great audience. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!! Okay, stop laughing.

Ever since I installed the live feed from Feedjit, which is freaking awesome BTW, I have noticed a lot of strange hits. Like Dubai. Brazil. Ireland. It's just strange. And they're getting here by going straight to the blog.

I know lots of people are getting here to read about my Master Cleanse experience, which was interesting. If you're thinking about doing it, get the book and then go to this site http://www.therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm Totally informative and a great companion to the book. The forums have so many answers!

Don't you think you should install a feed on your blog? You can add it here: http://feedjit.com/ It is kind of like the writing on the bathroom wall without the nasty germs.

Tantalizing Tuesday Crockpot Chicken Curry

Crockpot Chicken Curry

6 - 8 pieces of boneless skinless chicken I like to use breasts, but you can use whatever you like
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 - 2 chopped onions
3 - 4 chopped carrots
3- 4 chopped celery stalks
3 Tbsp. Curry powder *
1 tsp. Cumin*
1/4 - 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
chopped cilantro
8 oz. plain yogurt


*Instead of the cury powder & cumin, I like to use Pataks Cilantro & Cumin Mild Curry Paste, about 1/2 of a 10 oz. jar


You can also substitue pork as well.


Cook on low in crock pot for 6 - 8 hours. The chicken will essentially disintegrate into the sauce. About 30 minutes before serving, add in the chopped cilanto and yogurt. Serve over rice.

Project Time

I have been busy!! These are my lastest projects...

This fleece appliqued blanket is a present I made for my brother's graduation.



















Cloth bags I've been working on. I'm working on an insert for this one to carry 4 bottles.

Theraputic eye pillows that I'm about ready to get testers on. These were fun to make with relaxing chamomile and my special blend of flax and rice. DH especially likes the pillowcases!

And my new Provident Pads, almost ready to be sent out to my testers! I've been working on this pattern for about a year now, and I think they're ready! I guess my testers will tell me!














Watch for these soon on our site! And email me if you're intested in testing!!

Live, Learn and then get.....

Peed on. Seriously. How do people use Luvs diapers? Now we use cloth diapers when we're at home, because I'm crunchy living lightly cheap. Nah, we really like it. Especially cleaning the poop off of them. But I digress. Back to the Luvs. We decided to really be cheapos and buy a case of these instead of the Pampers we usually get for daycare and for our long outings. Now I suppose that people use these diapers and like them, because they are still making them, but wow! They are now relegated to daycare dipes only. On our trip down to Ft. Lauderdale last month, we loaded up after I finished work, and drove the 3 hours down there. Now, when we put Melissa in her seat, she was in a fresh diaper. She did great and slept the whole way there, but when we got out, she was soaked. And her jammies. And her carseat. She has NEVER done that in Pampers any other diaper. Now poop, that's a whole other story.

Congratulations to Sara & Clayton!!

I went to see my old work pal, Sara and her husband Clayton and their new baby boy, Rylan today in the hospital!! He was born yesterday and weighed in at 7# 4 oz. Looks like a cross between mommy and daddy and is just an angel! He slept the entire time I was there. Many congratulations to Sara and Clayton on a beautiful baby boy!

Tantalizing Tuesday General Tsao Chicken

General Tsao Chicken

Marinade:
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Egg Whites

Chicken cut int 1 " cubes

Sauce:
12 oz. Finely diced onions
12 cloves minced garlic
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 oz. tomato paste (I subbed ketchup)
3/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
2/3 cup Lemon Juice
4 Tien-Tsin Peppers (I subbed about 1 tsp. Garlic Chili Sauce)

Marinate chicken for 1 hour. Saute the onion and garlic in vegetable oil. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, simmer. Strain, or blend to combine. Coat 1" chicken pieces in corn starch. Fry until crisp. Coat with sauce. Serve over rice with steamed veggies.

Pictures!!

At last, here are the links to the pictures from our Vacation.

6/26

6/27

6/28

6/29

6/30

Videos From Yellowstone

Finally the long awaited videos. Enjoy!


Yellowstone Videos

Bell Peppers, A Tutorial

No Tantalizing Tuesday this week, but I do have a tutorial on the proper way to cut peppers. This is the easiest way and it will minimize the amount of waste you have.

Since it is summer and most everything is in season now, I like to buy and freeze for later! Dicing peppers and freezing them is perfect for making pizza or black beans and rice! Plus when peppers are $2 each in winter it can really save you some big money when you want to make up some fajitas!

Start out with your washed peppers.















Slice both ends off.















Notice the ribs that hold the seeds in place.















Remove the seeds by pulling them out, or if it is stubborn, slice the ribs with a knife.















Slice down the side to open up the pepper, and remove the ribs from the flesh inside.














Now you have a perfect piece of pepper to make nice even strips. Of course you will want to chop up the top and bottom pieces that you cut off so there is no waste!















I like to make up quart bags of diced peppers and freeze them. I usually use a mixture of green, red and yellow or orange. My usual combo is 2 green peppers, 1 red and 1 yellow or orange pepper. From that I can get 1 quart bag of diced peppers and 1 quart bag of sliced for fajitas.

Melissa went on the potty!

Well, Melissa has decided that she knows how to use the potty! She went in to the bathroom before her bath, said "Potty" sat down and peed!!! This was followed by much clapping and singing by mommy and some candy! She really loved that! This was actually the first time that she did it completely by herself! We haven't pushed her too much with the potty, and it has been there and we have talked about it. She is really starting to grow up!

Fabulous Friday Potato Salad

I decided that because I missed Tantalizing Tuesday this week due to a very sick baby, I decided to give you a Fabulous Friday! And with two recipes!!

Vegetarian "Chicken" Seasoning

This vegetarian seasoning can be used to make a lovely Chicken Stock when you are out. Be sure to use Nutritional Yeast instead of Brewers Yeast. It is excellent for flavoring rice and as a soup base. Use as needed to achieve the proper taste.

1 1/3 cups Nutritional Yeast Flakes

3 Tbsp Onion Powder

2 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp Salt

1 tsp Celery Seeds

2 1/2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

2 Tbsp Parsley, dried

Blend smooth all ingredients except parsley. Stir in parsley. Store in airtight container.

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Potato Salad

This is more of a loose recipe. You should adjust to suit your tastes. Makes about 10 servings.

5 Whole medium Potatoes

3 - 6 Eggs

1/2 onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

3 - 6 Tbsp Miracle Whip

3 - 6 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1 - 2 Tbsp Mustard

2-4 Tbsp Sweet Relish

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes whole. When the potatoes are done and a fork inserted comes out easily, add the eggs to the boiling water. This will help the eggs peel nicely (instead of getting clumps of the white stuck to the shell like I always do). Boil for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Combine all additional ingredients in a bowl, and mix. Be sure to check the seasoning, adding more if desired. If you like a more vinegary dressing, add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Roughly chop the potatoes and eggs and add to dressing. Refrigerate until cool and serve. Or eat right away. Your choice.

And as a side note, aren't these little bowls and plates cute?? We picked them up at Ikea for Melissa for about $4 for 6 plates and 6 bowls. We had previously gotten the matching silverware set, and decided to get these on our most recent trip. They also sell the matching cups! Too cute to pass up and very inexpensive! Melissa loves them too!

Doing Better!

Miss Melissa is doing better! Her sores are starting to heal and she ate and drank yesterday. She is spending the day with Nana and Pap Pap today.

Here are a few pics from my cell phone on our trip! Doesn't Neil look thrilled?