Tasty Tuesday

This is not what I originally planned to make for dinner last night. But I'm no slave to structure (see how I made the recipe on MONDAY?). . . and technically, I had this for lunch today so it counts. You can breathe that type A sigh of relief now.

Super Tasty and Somewhat Healthy-ish Taco Salad

1 lb. ground turkey

1 can black beans (very well rinsed)

1-2 pkgs. of taco seasoning.

1 head of lettuce

2 Roma tomatoes (extremely well seeded)

green onions

taco sauce

sour cream (reduced fat)

shredded cheese of your choice

tortilla chips

1. Brown the turkey, add the beans and seasoning, simmer. In a perfect world I would have added a couple large handfuls of chopped cilantro after all of this was mixed, but last night it didn't happen.

2. Chop the lettuce. I use my super spiffy plastic knife thingie from Pampered Chef. Then put it in a large bowl filled with cold water to "rinse" it. Don't think about the dirt/grit that's in the bowl later when you strain it.

3. Wash and chop the veggies. I had onions b/c I love them and tomatoes b/c they're growing on me (chopped/diced very fine).

4. Layer the well drained lettuce, meat/bean mixture, and cheese in a large bowl. Put the cheese right on the meat so it will melt.

5. Top with tomatoes and onions, a few dabs of sour cream. Drizzle taco sauce LIGHTLY around the top of the bowl.

6. Grab a couple of handfuls of chips, crushing them slightly as you sprinkle them around the perimeter of the bowl (b/c it looks PURTY).

7. Show off your pretty bowl of taco salad (like I did at work today), and then dive in.

Here kitty kitty kitty. . . kitty...

I am not a cat person. There could be a variety of reasons for this. First of all, I'm allergic. Second of all, I don't understand the appeal of an animal that licks itself to the point of the fur clogging their throat and then coughs up said fur as a token of appreciation for all to see. Third, cats are not dogs, and dogs (non-scary ones) rule. But, many of you are cat people. So when I saw this, I thought of you. I especially enjoyed the cat swinging from the ceiling fan. I bet that cat produced something other than fur balls.

Frugal Friday

I don't know about you, but I have not been couponing too much lately. First of all, I had about 20 boxes of cereal to go through! My niece now thinks that any time I see her, I should be bearing gifts of fruity cheerios and cocoa puffs. I haven't been planning lists or thinking before I grocery shop, either. But I also have not shopped a whole lot.
I did make a quick run to Walmart tonight. I had no plan, other than needing milk. I have decided to go ahead and move (may write more on that later) and found a place today. So my goal is to not buy any more groceries between now and then (May 1st), save a few bananas or loaf of bread. My goal is to use what I have in my cabinets and eat lots of sandwiches too.
As I was walking through the cheese and lunch meat area tonight, I saw one of those BIG HONKIN' HAMS. The kind you can take up to the deli counter and have them slice (as long as you're prepared for the heavy sigh and glaring look from the guy who has to manually slice 5 lbs of ham), then take home and bag in normal sized portions and freeze. The thought occurred to me, where did I first see that frugal habit? From my parents, of course! I remember my mom doing the same thing when we were kids, and helping her put away groceries and divide the ham when we got home. I also saw my parents participate in a food co-op, make use of produce given to us out of church friends' gardens, shop sales, and cook mostly from homemade. Not that I cared back then, I just wondered why our "Doritos" were such a weird, scary, dark dark shade of orange. But now, even though I am not feeding a family of 7 (thank you Lord!), I still use those habits, along with the new ones I've picked up along the way.
What frugal habits did your parents use that you also use with your family? What new things do you do? Do you find yourself (in these economic times blah blah blah) making more homemade things than prepackaged, boxed, or take-out? Do your kids or spouses notice?
Eventually, I will actually start writing entries on my cooking blog. I'm kind of waiting for the Farmer's Market to start up, because that is one of my favorite things to cook from. And this year, more than ever, I will be trying creative ways to cook what's in season. Turnips, anyone??

This week in Pictures

(I am going to put this on a t-shirt)

I would like to give you the impression that my recent non-writing life has been filled wondrous and exciting adventures, keeping me too busy to stop and write them down. But, since I see most of you every day, that would be difficult to pull off. I will say that my days have been full (sometimes of naps and procrastination, but still full). And I do have some things to share with you. My dilemma is, do I squeeze 4-5 somewhat interesting things into one amazing-ish post? Or do I drag it out and give myself material to post on over the next several days?

Lucky for you, I am not a believer of delayed gratification. And besides, who knows what discoveries I might make tomorrow that will trump the info I have handy today?

So, without further blabbing...I bring you...

Sisters.
Like me-n-my sister, they share a humor that is often beyond comprehension of those around them. Lucky for me, we're related, so I sometimes understand it too.

WHY. . . would I show you a toe with a nail in bad need of a trim?
Also, those flip flops are the best 10 bucks I've ever spent.
Maybe because it's not a toe at all.
I have wanted to take a picture of this from the day I got my camera.

Luckily, I have a sister with a great sense of humor. It will carry her through the hardships of her disability. She can't text. She can barely bowl. That sucker gets stuck in the ball!!

This is my Aunt Nellie (and her mom, my Granny).

We will never get a picture of the both of them smiling but not acting silly. They are two of a kind. And when I was little and Nellie was a teenager, I used to try to get her in trouble so I could watch Granny chase her around the house with the fanny-whacker. I was horrible, but thankfully, as you can see above, they are no worse for the experience.

This is a disgusting toy my secret Santa gave me. Squeeze it, and it comes squishing out all around that net stuff (it's too gross to take a picture of). My cube-mate stole it because she likes gross stuff. And from time to time she would squish it in my direction, because she's MEAN. And then it BROKE. And I was so. . . grieved. . .

And there you have it. A peek into the randomness of my life.

Ta-da!!!

Tricks of the Trade

How to take a picture of a 3 year-old and her birthday cake:

Start with a super sweet homemade cake, ignore the drippy icing,
focus on the millions of sprinkles.

Remind her that she helped make the cake! (we believe in slave labor around here).

Try to get her attention.

Try again. She is also mesmerized by the sprinkles. And tempted by the PINK PINK PINK frosting. She doesn't care that it's super drippy.

Tell her yes, it's ok if you have a nibble. It's your birthday cake and no one will know.
Except the four of you reading this. Shhhh....

Snap the picture quick! OR...wait until she's had a nap, and is much easier to work with.

Because. . .

No matter how many other....

cute, adorable, silly, squish you up pictures you've taken in the past 4 days

This is the one she has trouble posing for.

So, wait until AFTER her nap, and then the magic happens.

Happy Birthday, Mackenzie Jo!!

Cora Hay

Yesterday, Jimmy's sweet grandma, Cora, passed away.

This is the sunset as I drove towards Salina, Kansas, to be with my (in-law) family.

When Jimmy and I were first married, Cora's senior apartments were at the end of our block. We invited her and a friend or two over for lunch one Sunday, and I made some kind of soup or chili type dish. It may have been a bit on the spicy side, and Cora asked if I had anymore corn muffins. Unfortunately, I did not, and with tears in her eyes and a kind smile on her face, she said "Oh, well I would love to take a little more water, then." She must have understood the delicate connection between a new bride and her ability to cook.

She was a very sweet lady who loved her family more than anything. She raised a great son (or 3), who happens to be my father-in-law, Joe, who in turn treated her with great tenderness and honor as he (and Mary) cared for her when she could no longer care for herself.

As grateful as I am for my "regular" family, I am also extremely grateful for my in-laws. I could not have picked a better, more loving bunch to marry into.

Frugal Friday

I am new to couponing. I mean, I have taken a coupon or two to Wal-Mart or wherever and saved a buck or two, literally. But I am new to the bargain-sniffing, coupon-clipping, sale-finding, price-matching, some people actually MAKE money doing this. . . hard-core couponing world. I stumbled into this about a month ago and found that the concept already fit nicely into my frugal outlook on life. And you can't turn on the news without seeing this week's version of the coupon queen, a super-human mom of 3 or 4 or 16, who home schools, makes her own furniture, serves at church, and still has time to squeeze a $200.00/month grocery budget down to $27.99.

Raise your hand if you are already aware of the fact that that IS NOT ME. I do not have the capacity for that kind of organization, and as of yet, I am 16 kids shy of that scenario. I don't know what your family size is or how tight your budget has become. I will say that diving in can be super overwhelming and may even turn you off at first. But if you are truly interested in cutting some costs in your family, even if it's just on two items a year (like toilet paper and laundry soap), then stick your toe in and start saving.

So far, some of the sites I have found most helpful are:

1. http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ Start here. Even though she is taking some time off, she has some very helpful older posts on the basics of couponing, and even gives specifics for different stores (Dillon's, Walgreen's, CVS etc. . .).


2. http://ingoodcents.blogspot.com/ Like a lot of these blogs, this one is a good source for info, latest deals, and freebies from all over. Through the posts I have received free magazines, booklets full of coupons, and great insight on budget planning.
3. http://www.couponing101.com/ One more blog. This one really spells out the match-ups. I can look at her blog on Kroger (Dillon's), see in an instant if there's any super great deal, and put selected items on my list.
4. http://www.thecouponclippers.com/ Don't like the idea of messy coupon clippings from multiple papers all over the house? Just order multiples of the ones you know your family will need and this minister's wife and her crew will do the dirty work. You can also see what coupons are coming out in Sunday's paper before Sunday, in case you want to buy 2 or 12 papers.
5. http://www.ebay.com/ What? EBay? Yes. If your store is having a blow-out sale on something or you want to stock up on a particular item, do a quick search on EBay. I've only purchased one set so far, but I check it regularly.
6. http://www.cellfire.com/ and http://shortcuts.com/ Both load coupons directly to your Dillon's Plus card. And then you can use a regular paper coupon on top of that! I love this!
7. http://www.dillons.com/ I also have Price Cutter in my Coupons folder under my favorites. No more wondering what's on sale or trying to get a hold of the weekly flyer. Most chain stores (even Wal-Mart and Target) have their weekly flyers online. Much easier to prepare.

I think I will stop there for now. That is about as far as I have gone. I have not yet braved Walgreen's or CVS, but I know I eventually will try it, at least a couple times. I would caution you to not get sucked in to the "great deals" but to carefully plan around your budget and family needs. Otherwise, you might find yourself recovering from a coupon-induced daze wondering exactly how you ended up with 18 boxes of Cocoa Puffs. Not that I would know anything about that. It's not going to be for everyone (couponing, not Cocoa Puffs), but it is definitely worth a little consideration as a way to stretch your budget. Plus, when you find great deals, then you can post them online for everyone to envy, which is my favorite part.

Tasty Tuesday

I can't believe I missed tasty Tuesday again. To be fair, I did create this http://startfreshfromherecooking.blogspot.com/ yesterday. Or was it Monday? Either way, I spent most of yesterday trying not to think about food and working on fever reduction. And today I made 4 gallons of my salsa for a fundraiser. . . so aside from smelling like fresh onions and garlic (and cilantro!), I am not very excited about recipes or cooking just yet.
Does anyone have a great homemade chicken soup recipe? I think I may make some this weekend, and I don't already have a trusty favorite.
I created the cooking blog because I wait in great anticipation for the spring opening of our local farmer's markets. I can't wait to start exploring and expanding my horizons. Do you visit your farmer's market or produce stands? What do you like best?

Murphy meets Baby

We had house guests this weekend. My cousin Myrenda, her husband Kenny, and daughter MiraBella spent Saturday and Sunday with us. This was Murphy's first experience sharing his home with a BABY. MB is 8 months old and SUPER CUTE. We weren't sure how Murphy would do sharing his SUPER CUTE spotlight.

MiraBella thought Murhpy reminded her of a Snuggle Fabric Softener bear.

Mama Myrenda was really worried about Murphy being to close to MB.
Can you see the concern on her face?

They were fast friends.

MB wanted to tell Murph all her troubles.


Then it was Murph's turn.

Then they reminded each other they were a baby and a dog and had no real troubles.

Murphy took advantage of MiraBella's nap to get some 2 on 1 attention.
He's really suffering with these house guests.

We were glad to see this sweet family and get to spend some time together. As I type this, Murphy is making his 167th lap around the house checking to see if they really are for real really gone and really for real not here anymore.
To the Donovan Family, thanks for spending a chilly weekend with us, we love you!!