It's called Christmas!

If you haven't checked out the guys of Go Fish yet, here's a little sample of what you are missing...

Menu

I'm participating in Menu Plan Monday to *hopefully* establish a habit of planning. Ha!
We'll see how it works and I'll post an update at the end of the week.

Monday: salmon/steamed brocolli & cauliflower/wild rice
Tuesday: pork chops/cabbage/carrots *added potatoes
Wednesday: spagetti/focaccia bread/salad
Thursday: chili dogs/chips/salad*
Friday: homemade chicken noodle soup/fruit salad
Saturday: chimichangas/spanish rice/chips

Just for kicks I've also made a list of lunches for the kids and I:
leftovers/salad
turkey sandwiches/chips/apple slices
tuna salad sandwiches/carrot sticks
soup/crackers/salad/fruit
hot dogs/mac-n-cheese *I'll eat a big salad on this day. Hot dogs = nasty!

Breakfasts:
whole wheat toast with peanut butter
oatmeal * 3
cold cereal with bananas

Baking

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, I am spending the day baking. In addition to the previously posted Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake I am making the following recipes:

Cornbread Dressing (Not an exact recipe)
1 hen boiled & deboned, reserve broth
2 pans of cornbread, crumbled
2-4 eggs, boiled & chopped
2 raw eggs, slightly beaten
celery, finely chopped
carrots, shredded
1-2 apples, shredded
green onions, chopped
broth from hen

Mix all together and place in baking dish. Bake @ 350 until done.

I don't know exactly where this recipe came from. If it's yours, step up and claim it!
Easy Pecan Pie
1 unbaked pie crust
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vailla
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cup pecans, halves or chopped - your choice.

In saucepan, brown butter until it is golden but don't let it burn. Set aside so that it can cool. When cooled, add sugar, salt, vanilla, syrup and eggs. Mix well. Add lemon juice and fold in pecans. pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 325 and bake for another 55 minutes.

Black Friday Breakfast
Quiche in a Bag (if I recall correctly, this is from 30 Day Gourmet)
In a gallon sized bag mix the following ingredients:
1 cup cooked meat, chopped (turkey, duh!)
1 cup veggies, chopped (I used sauted red & green peppers and broccolli)
1 cup shredded cheese, whatever you prefer
1/4 cup diced onion (we used green)
Now blend together:
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup flour
*optional dash or four of Tabasco
Pour this into the bag and toss in the freezer if making several days ahead / refrigerator if preparing the day before.
When ready to cook, thaw and pour into a pre-baked (5-7 minutes) pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until set in the middle. You can also add extra cheese to the top if you like.

Giving Thanks take 2

I am thankful for:
the Bible
Dr Pepper
our youth pastor
bookshelves
my best friends, Lara & Leah
microfiber cloths
thunderstorms
crafty posters like maize hutton, purlbee and not martha
my sisters-in-law
museums
our pastor
ice makers
this product
pretty scrapbook paper

Giving Thanks

In no particular order, I am thankful for
my husband
sunshine
our children
chocolate
warm socks
our health
my grandmother
soft sheets
our home
our church
calendars with big blocks
silk pillowcases
our friends
wicked fast internet access
salvation
home school friendly laws
go karts
mechanical pencils
my parents


to be continued...

Weight Gain

In light of my recent weight gain, I decided to post this hilarious little segment I found on youtube.com. It's by Chonda Pierce, a Christian comedienne. If you can handle the voice, she's quite funny.


Unrelated, but also quite humorous.

China Free

HERE is a link to a blog that lists many options for (hopefully) lead-free toys. I have to admit, I was less than worried when the first few recalls came out. My kids are beyong putting things in their mouths and such. However, after reading the labels on tons of toys this week I found there are very few toys NOT made in China! I was a little surprised.
Anyway, there's a link to help you get the lead out of Christmas this year. Ha, I made a funny.

Good hair days are back!

Recently I've been hating my hair. Like throwing the brush on the bathroom floor hating. The ugly kind of hate. It's very thick, coarse, kinky and frizzy. It's also experiencing a bad cut. Nothing will make you consider a Sinead O'Connor buzz cut like waking up to thick, kinky, frizzy, badly butchered hair every morning.
However, I decided to put the clippers down and try one more blooming hair product.
Drum roll please.....


It's a product from REGIS Salons' (small) line of straightening products. The claims were simple. 'A lightweight gel that won't dry out the hair. Adds texture, definition and styling flexibility.' The instructions fairly easy 'Directions:Apply to damp hair and let air-dry for a wet look. For added volume, apply to damp hair and blow-dry.' Honestly, I wasn't expecting much. I have paid upwards of $20 for 1.7 oz hair product failures before. This 6$ bottle, with its plain packaging and minimal claims didn't offer my locks much hope. Looking back I don't know why I bought it, but I am very pleased that I did!
The cream is just that: cream. It's bottled with a pump which dispenses a perfect amount of cream for my shoulder length hair. I applied it to my still damp hair and combed it through. Then allowed my hair to air dry a bit more as I plucked, picked, moisturized and applied my 'war-paint'. It was drying time. Do or die time. This is where I usually end up disappointed and perhaps "dropping" a hairbrush or two. Ahem. The straightening products I've used in the past have actually made my hair thicker and somewhat even more coarse, as if that is possible. I clip the majority of hair up to dry the underside first as it is the curliest. After just a few strokes with the hairdryer and brush, guess what? VOILA'! Soft, shiny and STRAIGHT hair! I was surprise and somewhat skeptical but after completing my entire head....STOKED! I have straight, Bouncin' and Behavin' hair! After trying millions thousands hundreds, okay at least 10 different straightening products, I've finally found one that works and doesn't absorb half of our grocery budget! Now, I just cannot wait for the bad cut to grow out!


*For some reason it cracks me up that I don't allow my kids to use the word 'hate' and I just wrote a post filled with the word! At least it turned loving at the end, right?