Where, Oh Where Have I Been? This is Personal.

When I started my blog I had hopes of being just a bit more disciplined about writing.  So, ok, I haven't done the best job, but at least now I have a good excuse.  On November 15th, my car was struck by a garbage truck that ran the red light.  I remember hearing a horn, I remember looking to my left, and then I remember no more until my car came to a stop.  You know it's funny what you think about after you have an accident.  I literally crawled out of my car because I had to go to work and I was wondering why I hurt so much.  I looked around the inside of my car and was amazed at how much broken glass there was and surprised that both my air bags had deployed.  Who was that woman who called 911?  And thank you Eric for holding me and telling me that everything was going to be OK.  I always wondered what it was like to ride in an ambulance and it isn't fun at all.  I thought that having pneumonia or natural childbirth was the worst pain that I had ever experienced, but I have to put broken ribs in my top three.  The first few days in the hospital were the easiest and the worst - pain & sleep, pain & eat, pain.  Walking and breathing with a fiery knife in my side.  My poor car - my Nissan Sentra - I named her Ruth.  Totalled.  I never saw my car again.  My sister went and picked up my personal items and seeing the car made her cry.  A few more inches and I wouldn't have survived; such calm and peace knowing that dying is ok.  So here I am, what? 5 weeks later, and a few days away from Christmas, and my rib is healing, and my neck and back are aching, and I have a headache that won't go away and I survived.  And sometimes I can't sleep and I get nervous around large trucks, and I clench my teeth at the intersection where my accident occurred, and I cry, but the worst part are the dreams.  In my dreams, I hear the garbage truck's horn and I wake up shaking and crying because I know what's going to happen.  So pray for me as my mind and body continue to heal and thank God that he let me live.

55 Days and Counting

Soooooooooooo, I read today that Christmas is 55 days away - that's less than 2 months!  Holy cow, where did the year go?  I have stuff to buy, but more importantly I have stuff to make!  With the economy the way it is, I plan on making at least one gift for everyone on my gift list.  Plus, there are stockings to stuff!  OK, I know Christmas is not about presents or money, but gifts are a way of showing our friends and families how much we care about them and I believe that homemade gifts are extra special.

An "Amaizeing" Time

So today I took the day off from work and my sister and I drove up to Conner's Amaizing Acres in Hilliard, FL and went through their corn maze.  It was so much fun!  The maze had two sides and it took us about 20 minutes to get through each side.  We got turned around a couple of times, but we could see the roof of the barn from everywhere in the maze so there wasn't any reason to panic.  It was just a great way to spend a day off from work.

A Shout Out to "Mustard's Last Stand"

Last weekend on my way to Miami, my sister and I stopped at a little restaurant in Melbourne, FL called "Mustard's Last Stand".  I'd driven past it a few times whenever I went to visit my daughter and vowed that one day I would stop and eat there.

Let me tell you, it was great.  We aren't just talking hot dogs here - we're talking hot dog creations, a melding of flavors that leaves you licking your lips and wishing for a bigger stomach!  Oh yeh!  I am not kidding; I can't wait to go back.

My sister and I ordered the cowboy, a hot dog and bacon wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried, and topped with chili and cheese.  In my wildest dreams I never could imagine a hot dog tasting that good.  Add to that an order of chili cheese fries and my sister and I were in heaven.

Seriously, if you're ever in Melbourne, you've got to stop and try one of their hot dogs.  They're located on US 1 and they're worth the visit.  Check out their website at http://www.mustardsinc.com/.  You're gonna thank me!

What I've Done So Far

Well, so far this month has been great!  I can't believe that it's September 5th already, that Labor Day is over, and tomorrow I have to go back to work.  I am slowly making my way through my list of 50 and here's what I've done so far.

No. 4 on my list was to have a drink with my kids.

Here I am with my son Troy and his fiancee Nina.

I'm the cute chubby one in the middle with the strawberry margarita!

This is my daughter Amber and her fiancee Chris.

Notice that I am the only one without a tan!

No. 42 on my list was to eat birthday cake.  Now my actual birthday isn't for a couple of weeks, but Nina made me this delicious coconut cake and I just had to eat it.

No. 47 on my list was to go to Whole Foods.  For those of you who don't know what Whole Foods is, it's an organic grocery store.  I've always wanted to go there and just look around so this past Sunday, my two sisters, my daughter and I went there in the afternoon.  I ended up buying a chocolate bar with bacon in it.  The price was a little daunting, $7.49, but sometimes you have to splurge.  We all had a taste - and it tasted exactly like chocolate with bacon in it.  You could taste the chocolate but at the same time you could taste the bacon.  It wasn't bad, it was just different.  You should try it sometime.  The next time I go to Whole Foods, I'm going to try the chocolate bar with hot peppers.

Fifty Ways to Celebrate My Birthday

This month, I am going to turn 50 years old.  I don't feel like I'm going to turn 50.  When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't see someone one looks 50, but then I may be biased.  This is a big birthday for me.  And I want to celebrate it in a big way, so I decided that I want to do 50 fun things for my birthday.

1. Go camping
2. Go to the beach
3. Play in the rain
4. Have a drink with my kids
5. Eat a caramel apple from Kilwins
6. Lunch with Rita
7. Lunch with Don
8. Watch a scary movie
9. Eat Chinese food
10. Go someplace in Florida that I've never been
11. Go fishing
12. Stand on my head
13. Eat pepperoni pizza
14. Try tofu
15.  Try quinoa
16. Read a book on zombies
17. Lunch with Kathleen
18. Learn the Electric Slide
19. Make paper flowers
20. Try a new recipe
21. 44-oz diet pepsi
22. Take a picture everyday
23. Blow bubbles
24. Go to Pumpkin Hill Preserve
25. Finish Dead Space
26. Get Roger Staubach's autograph
27. Buy a new purse
28. Birthday lunch with Debbie
29. Amber's queso
30. Make an origami ?
31. Donate blood
32. George Bush's autograph
33. Cheer the Dallas Cowboys on to victory
34. Take my birthday off from work
35. Dinner with Amber & Chris
36. Dinner with Troy & Nina
37. Resident Evil Marathon (with popcorn)
38. Go hiking
39. New computer game
40. Wienie & Marshmallow roast
41. Go for a random drive
42. Eat birthday cake
43. Take a bubble bath
44. Peterbrooke chocolate
45. Complete a Sunday crossword puzzle
46. 50 hugs
47. Go to Whole Foods
48. Bake cookies in my car
49. Make a solar oven out of a cardboard box
50. Family photo

What I've Been Up To

It's been a while since I last wrote anything.  I've been busy crafting, doing a little cooking, and learning how to be a mom of two grown children.  I'm going to do a craft show in October with a friend from church.  I'm calling my booth "paper or plastic" because I'm going to be selling bowls and coasters made from paper and tote bags and rugs made from plastic grocery bags.  I've been sending off for a bunch of free stuff and at the end of the month I'm going to post a picture of all the free stuff that I've scored.  Still working on being a couponista and it's going pretty well.  Overall, I have to say that things are going pretty well.

Marathon Training

In December, there's a marathon here in Jacksonville.  When I was in college, I ran track, but those days are long gone.  I still like to walk though, so I've decided to walk the half marathon - 13.1 miles.  I'm about 20 lbs overweight, but I walked the Gate River Run (9 miles) when I was 20 lbs heavier than I am now.  Tonight I took walked for the first time in a long time.  My sister, Deb, is my coach and my biggest cheerleader.  We took the long way around the neighborhood, which is to say that we took a detour from our path.  We stopped at a pile down by the street and ended up bringing home a small bucket of toys (for our next yard sale).  We were gone for 2 hours and we walked a little over 5 miles - not too bad for my first day.

Sausage Mac Supper

I had this yen to cook today and I wanted to cook something different.  Saturdays are not my most favorite day to cook.  Saturday is my one day where I'm lucky if I even change out of my pajamas, so cooking is not real high on my to do list.  But, I found this recipe in a file folder and decided to try it.  It was easy (I like) and yummy (I really like).

Sausage Mac Supper

1/2 lb. smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I used Hot smoked sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni (I was all out of elbow macaroni, so I used tiny shells)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 1/2 cup)

In a large skillet, add a little oil, and brown sausage, onion, celery, and green pepper until veggies are tender.  Add the tomato sauce, chili powder, and pepper; mix well.  Stir in the macaroni and heat through.  Sprinkle with cheese; cook until cheese is melted.

I mean, how easy is that?

This is my blog

There are a million different blogs out there, but this blog is mine.  It's about me, my life, and what I choose to share.  It's not about making money or having followers, which would be great, but it's a chance for me to share a part of myself and who I am.  When I started out, I was trying so hard to be a blogging goddess; I felt like I had to blog some new craft or some new recipe everyday and I don't have to do any of that unless I want to.  If only one person stumbles upon this blog and is better for it, then that's great, but if I'm the only one who ever reads it, that's OK too.

Corn Dog Muffins

I love corn dogs.  I know that they're not very healthy, but every time I eat a corn dog, it reminds me of the county fair.  When I saw a recipe to make corn dog muffins at www.mommymusings.com, I knew that I had to make them.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups corn meal mix
1 tbs. oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
5 hot dogs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Mix oil, milk, and egg together

Add corn meal until thoroughly mixed

Add cupcake liners to a muffin pan. 

Cut the five hot dogs in half and then cut each half into 4 pieces, for a total of 40 pieces of hot dog.  Place 4 pieces of hot dog in each cupcake liner.  I added a little shredded cheese to half of my cupcake liners.

Pour cornmeal mixture over the hot dogs and bake for 15 - 20 minutes

Let cool slightly and enjoy with mustard or whatever!

I wish that my muffins were more browned, but it didn't affect the taste.  This recipe makes a quick and easy on-the-go meal.

Easy Purse Storage

I don't know about you, but I have a few purses in my closet and it's hard to store them so I came up with an easy solution.

Take a wire coat hanger and cut it about 1.5 inches from the top corners on both sides of the coat hanger.  I actually just bent the coat hanger back and forth until the friction broke the wire.

This is what the coat hanger should look like.  Finally, all you have to do is bend the two sides into right angles and twist the top of the coat hanger until it's at a right angle to the two sides.

When you're finished, you have an easy, inexpensive way to sort and store your purses.

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day is bittersweet for me.  My dad passed away on July 9, 2000.  Sometimes, it feels like it was just yesterday that I lost him.  My dad always said that there wasn't anything that a walk or a peppermint candy couldn't make better.  I can remember him giving me a peppermint candy right before he walked me down the aisle on my wedding day.  I remember going up to New York for his memorial service.  His car was parked out front of my sister's house.  In the driver's seat was the vest and the hat that my dad wore wherever he went; when I saw them, I knew that he really was gone.  Every once in a while, I go and bury my face in his vest and remember how much I love and miss him.

I got a text message from my son today; it read "Happy father's day mom.  This day is for you too.  You played both rolls and did a damn good job.  Thanks mom."  Later on, my daughter came up to me and gave me a hug and wished me a happy father's day.  It made me feel so special.  So, if you have a dad, you're lucky, and if you are a single mom, happy father's day - you're the best.

My Stockpile

I don't believe in fairy tales.  I don't believe in happily ever after; I do believe in being happy forever - there's a difference.  I don't live in Never-Never Land (it's never going to happen to me, my family, my country, etc.).  Do you watch the news, listen to the radio, or read the newspaper?  Do you have friends or family?  Things are tough and I mean tough ALL over.

It hurts to go to the grocery store; gosh, it hurts to go to Walmart these days!  I've been trying for a while to stockpile food.  I don't do this only for myself.  I have two kids and when they come home, I let them go "shopping" in my pantry.  I have friends at church who've lost their jobs and are having a really hard time just getting by.  At this point in my life, I'm making a solid five figure income in the low 30's, and my credit card debt is less than $1,000.  I'm blessed - God is taking good care of me.

I used to keep my stockpile here and there and it's been hard to keep up with.  This week I decided to centralize my food stockpile.  I set it up in a spare bedroom.  It's all organized and everything is dated and I can finally see what I have on hand and what I need to think about purchasing.  It's a start.

How to get a free microwave - here it is

Back in April, I was talking about how I was going to get a free microwave; well, here's a picture of it.

It's nice, isn't it?  It's a 1.6 cf, 1,250 watt Panasonic microwave.  It was on sale at Walmart for $129.95.  Using two $50.00 Walmart gift cards that I got through www.mypoints.com and a $50.00 gift card that I received as a reward for using my bank's credit card, I was able to "purchase" my microwave and still have money left over.  The most important feature of my new microwave? popcorn, of course!

Tracking My Spending

I'm intrigued by the idea of extreme couponing.  I live in an area where the stores do not double the face value of the coupons, so it's a little harder to be an uber couponer.  I've decided to keep track of my spending this month using my coupons to see if I save a significant amount of money.  I've already gone shopping at Walgreens and Publix.  When I came home, I set up a spread sheet.  I'm not sure this is really necessary because my receipts show all my savings, but I want to break it down by item.  I have my coupon binder set up and it really helps me to keep track of my coupons and the expiration dates.  I usually just spend a couple of hours a week cutting and sorting coupons and coming up with my shopping list for the week.  Another advantage is that most of the stores where I shop are clustered together, so I won't spend a lot of time or gas going from store to store.  You probably won't ever see me on an episode of "Extreme Couponing", but, who knows, maybe I'll make the local paper.

Memorial Day Tribute

For many of us, Memorial Day is a four day weekend and another reason to get together with our friends and families for cook-outs and fireworks.  It's that way for me too, but it's more.  It's a time to reflect on freedom and the sacrifice and cost of that freedom.

This is my son, Corporal Troy Blackstone, and he is a true American hero.  I say this, not only because he's my son, but because of his service record.  In July, he will celebrate his 21st birthday.  He is not old enough to legally drink, but he has been deployed to Afghanistan three times.  On his first deployment, he was injured by an IED (improvised explosive device).  He doesn't tell anyone, but he was awarded the Silver Star and a purple heart.  He tries not to walk with a limp, which he will have for the rest of his life.  He's unassuming about what he's done - it's his job is what he'll tell you.

We can sit around in our backyards or around our pools because of the men and women who, like my son, volunteered for military service because they think freedom is worth the sacrifice.  Warmongers? no way!  Patriotic?  you bet!  The next time you see a man or woman in uniform, thank them - for freedom of speech, for being able to sleep peacefully at night, for the right to protest against them, against war, against our government.  They are some one's son, daughter, mother, father, sister, or brother and they deserve the utmost respect and admiration.

On this Memorial Day, take a moment and silently thank those who freely gave their lives for your freedom.

I'm Back

It's been a few weeks since I last sat down and wrote about anything.  Sometimes, life just catches you up like a tornado and spins you around and you're left picking up the pieces.  Since the last time, I've dealt with some personal health issues and faced my own mortality.  Add to that some family issues and everything just kind of imploded.  I am slowly getting back on track and hope to do a better job of keeping everyone informed.

Frugal Florida

What's the first thing that you think of when you think of Florida?  Walt Disney World, right?  Maybe you think of Florida's many beaches or maybe you think of America's oldest city, St. Augustine.  I personally think that everyone, no matter how old you are, should visit Disney.  We have some really beautiful beaches here in Florida (personally, the beaches out in the panhandle are the prettiest) and I love walking around Old St. Augustine.  But there are so many other places to visit in Florida and they're CHEAP!

I had the day off from work today, so my sister and I headed down A1A for a trip to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.  Washington Oaks is located between Crescent Beach, FL and Palm Coast, Florida.  The park is located along the Matanzas River.  The property was originally owned by Owen and Louise Young.  Owen Young helped to found RCA and Louise was a designer.  They used the property as a summer retreat and Louise donated the property to the State of Florida in 1964 after the death of her husband.

This is my sister Debbie, sitting in the gazebo.

C

Mask made from coquina along one of the paths.

It only cost $5.00 to get into the park.  The visitor center is located in the Young's former home, and there are nature trails, beautiful gardens, and a picnic area.  Visit http://www.floridastateparks.org/washingtonoaks for more information.  What makes it even better is that the park is located right across the road from the Coquina Rocks of Washington Oaks Garden State Park.  Coquina Rocks is included in the price of admission to Washington Oaks.

This place is awesome.  I never knew that rocks could be found in Florida; I always thought of my state as pretty much of a giant sand pit.  Anyways, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was.

Photos of the Coquina Rocks

We also ran into a native Floridian while we were there -

Florida Gopher Tortoise

Finally, just up the road is Fort Matanzas.  Fort Matanzas is near the site where a group of French Huguenots were slaughtered by the Spanish in 1565.  It's free to enter the park and you can take a free ferry ride over to the Fort.  Visit http://www.nps.gov/foma/index.htm for more information.


What a great way to spend my day off!

Easter Greetings

Easter is chocolate bunnies, peeps, baskets, egg hunts, and family.  But it's also about a new beginning, the resurrection of a living savior, and the hope that I have in a future without pain, tears, or death.  Happy Easter.

My Experience as an Uber Couponer

Today, after work, with coupon binder, shopping list, and sale ads in hand, I set out to try my hand as an uber couponer.  My first stop was Walgreen's.  I was pretty excited.

Walgreen's purchases -

dawn dish washing liquid - retail price is $1.99
sale price - $0.99
manufacturer's coupon - $0.25
final price - $0.74

scotch magic tape - $1.99
sale price - buy 1, get two free
manufacturer's coupon - $1.00
final price - $0.33 each for 3 rolls

Campbell's cream of chicken soup- 2 cans for $3.00
sale price - $0.79 each
manufacturer's coupon - $0.40 off 4 cans
final price - $.069 each for 4 cans

gold medal flour - $3.49
sale price - 2/$3.00
I did not have a coupon & I purchased two - $3.00

domino's brown sugar - $1.29
sale price - $0.89
manufacturer's coupon - $0.75 off 2
final price - $1.03 for 2 boxes

Celebrity canned ham - $3.99
sale price - $1.99
I did not have a coupon & I purchased 3 - $5.97

domino sugar, 4 lb. bag - $2.99
sale price - $2.49
manufacturer's coupon - $0.50
final price - I purchased 2 @ $1.99 - $3.98

Reynold's wrap - $1.69
sale price - $0.89
I did not have a coupon & I purchased 1 - $0.89

puff's facial tissue - $2.49
sale price - 2/$3.00
manufacturer's coupon - $0.50
final price - $1.25 per box

Ajax cleanser - $0.99
sale price - 2/$1.00
manufacturer's coupon - $1.00
final price - should be free, but the store would not honor my coupon, so $1.00
 
Total Cost

1) If I had purchased everything at retail price, I would have spent $50.12
2) If I had purchased everything at the sale price, no coupons, I would have spent $26.76
3) My final purchase price, including coupons, wagc (Walgreen's coupons) & tax was $23.84

I don't feel like an extreme couponer.  Maybe if I had only purchased items for which I had coupons, it would have been different.  Moving on to CVS !!

At CVS, I only purchased three things:

1 gallon of milk - $3.19, get $1.00 ECB (extra care bucks), final cost - $2.19
1 96 oz. chlorox bleach - $1.69, $0.25 manufacturer's coupon, final cost - $1.49
1 green bag tag - $0.99, get $0.99 ECB, final cost - free

Maybe I did better at CVS, but I'm not sure.  I do know that I saved money today, but I'm not ready to claim the title of UBER Couponer yet.

The Bottom Line

Uber Couponing

I haven't watched the new TLC show, "Extreme Couponing" but I am fascinated by extreme savers.  A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to see how much I could save by couponing.  The first thing that I did was to make my own coupon binder.  If you want a good example of how to set up your own binder, go to www.homeof5.com.

The hardest part of this whole thing is matching up the weekly store ads with coupons.  I don't subscribe to my local paper so I have to depend on my friends for the sales inserts and coupons.  There are also several websites where you can download and print coupons.  I need to determine how cost effective this is based on the cost of ink for my printer.

This week, I plan on going to Walgreens and CVS to take my first steps into the world of extreme couponing.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Easter - Coconut Cream Eggs

Do you have a favorite Easter treat?  I like peeps and cadbury creme eggs, but I especially like coconut cream eggs.  I found an easy recipe for them at www.thriftyfun.com.

Combine 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, a 1 lb. bag of coconut, one 2 lb. bag of powdered sugar, and 1 tsp. of vanilla.

Mix well and shape into eggs.  I took about a handful of mix, patted it down, and used an egg-shaped cookie cutter to make my eggs.

I made 20 eggs, but you could make more or less depending on how you form your eggs.  I placed them on a cookie sheet and refrigerated them for about an hour.

After about an hour, I melted a bag of chocolate chips over low heat until they were creamy.

Finally, I dipped the eggs in the chocolate until they were covered.  Then I put them back into the refrigerator to chill.

Here's the final product.  I wish that they had turned out prettier, but they still tasted good!

How to get a free microwave

My microwave is getting old.  Sometimes it works the way it's supposed to and sometimes, it runs without turning off.  This is becoming an issue.  I want a new microwave, but I don't want a $49 special from Walmart.  I want the same kind of microwave that I have now; I want all the bells and whistles.  The really cool thing though is that I'm going to get a new microwave for free.  FREE!

I'm not saying that you can just decide that you want a new microwave today and then go and get it tomorrow.  It is easy though.  So far, I have received two $50.00 gift cards for Walmart, and I'm on my way to getting another $50.00 gift card.  $150.00 should be more than enough to get me the microwave that I want.

How did I do it?  I signed up at www.mypoints.com.  All I have to do is read emails, shop online, etc.  Anything that I would normally do online I can do through the mypoints program.  I can earn anywhere from 5 points for reading an email to 1,000 + points for joining a book club or shopping online.  When I've accumulated enough points, I can redeem them for rewards, such as gift cards.  How easy is that?

A "Fair-y" Good Time

I love the County Fair - the smells - popcorn, pizza, boiled peanuts, and sausages; the sights - the exhibits, the livestock, the carnies; and the rides.

Today, after work, my sister and I went to the fair.  I purchased admission tickets and armbands online and saved $16.00 - not bad.  The first thing we did when we got there was to visit the "Old Florida" exhibition.

Moosemobile

We went through all the exhibits and I got a bunch of free pencils and other stuff.  Then we went and looked at the livestock.

Isn't this the cutest little guy you've ever seen?

OK, I know you're thinking, "what's up with the cow and the pig?"  Well, my favorite number just happens to be 23 and, you guessed it, these are pictures of cow #23 and pig #23.  Come on, I had to take a picture of them!

Afterwards, we went on the rides.  I confess to being a coward; the scrambler is about the limit for me.  I usually ride the same three or four rides until I get sick to my stomach.

I took this photo while I was riding on the scrambler - wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Finally, no trip to the fair is complete until I buy the biggest bag of cotton candy that I can find - pure sugar and pure heaven for me.

Household Notebook

A few days ago I wrote about how disorganized I am right now.  Sometimes it's amazing that I get anything done.  While stumbling around on the internet, I've seen some great websites that show you how to make a household notebook.  Organizedhome.com has free printable planner forms that you can download and make your own household notebook.  Another good website is "money saving mom."

I went with organized home because I believe that their forms are more relevant for me.  Here's how I put my notebook together.

daily do-it checklist - this is where I listed all the things that I want to accomplish on a daily basis.  My list includes feeding my dogs and cat, making my bed, doing a morning devotional, eating breakfast, brushing and flossing my teeth, showering, moisturizing, taking my vitamins, drinking 8 glasses of water, exercising, and checking my email.

daily planner - this is my personal to do list and is divided into the following sections: "to do", "to go", "to call", "to buy", and "what's for dinner?".  I like the idea of dividing things up into categories.

weekly planner - this is my work to do list and is divided into days.  I actually am pretty well organized at work, but this still helps me stay on track.

monthly calendar - I carry a calendar in my purse also, but the monthly calendar in my notebook has more room to write things down and I color-coded it - green for bills; yellow for work appointments; blue for personal appointments, and pink for mystery shops.

shopping list - makes it easy to keep track of what I need to purchase

weekly menu plan

freezer inventory

pantry inventory

blank sheets of paper

monthly budget - I couldn't find a printable form that I liked, so I just included my handwritten budget.

It's a work in progress, but I hope to get to the point where it's indispensable.

Bubble Up Pizza

This is a wonderful recipe that I got from al.com.  It's just another great recipe to make that's easy and tastes good.  I modified it slightly using ingredients that I already had on hand.

Bubble Up Pizza
1 can of Grands buttermilk biscuits, 16.3 oz
1 jar of pizza sauce (I used pasta sauce)
2 cups of cheese
your favorite pizza toppings (sausage & pepperoni are my faves)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cut biscuits into quarters and place in a medium size bowl.  Toss biscuits with 1 cup of sauce.  Add pizza toppings and half the cheese.  Toss until well blended.  Spray a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray.  Pour biscuit mixture into pan and top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 minutes or until biscuits are done.

It is so good!

Tired Tuesday Dinner

I just want to say a big "THANK YOU" to Sarah and AJ at www.imagrownupnow.com for an easy, tasty dinner to make on one of those weeknights when work has been really tough.

Their recipe is called mac & cheese lasagna and it's wonderful. 

You need 1 lb. of ground beef, 1 package of macaroni & cheese, 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, and 1 package of cheese.

Cook the ground beef and mac & cheese like you normally would.  Preheat oven to 375.

Layer the mac & cheese, ground beef, spaghetti sauce, and cheese in a baking dish.  Repeat process until baking dish is full.

Bake, uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes.  Done!

It's easy and so delicious - just the right recipe after a long day at work.

Disorganized

Where did March go?  What did I accomplish?  Even with my "lists", I am still so disorganized!  I'm almost four months into a new year and my life feels like a complete mess!  Ouch!  My bathroom needs a good cleaning, I need to exercise, I need to cook some decent meals!  Does anybody else feel this way?  Maybe I should have titled this blog "undisciplined" because I don't finish anything I start.  You know, I don't want to go to bed at night feeling like I haven't accomplished SOMETHING that day.  And I'm tired of the excuse that I don't have time, when I do.  How do I get organized and disciplined?  How do I make time not only for the things that I have to do, but for the things I want to do?  That's the $64,000 question, isn't it?

In Search of the Perfect Smoothie

I love the smoothies that I get at Tropical Smoothie; they're so creamy and yummy!  I am on a mission to find the perfect smoothie that I can make at home.  I like coffee so I thought that a coffee & banana smoothie might be good.  I have to admit that I'm not especially fond of bananas; when I was pregnant with my daughter, I had to eat a banana a day to raise my potassium levels.  Since then, I haven't really cared for bananas.  Anyways, I found this recipe scribbled on the back of a notepad and thought I'd give it a try.  It's a simple recipe - I like simple!

Coffee & Banana Smoothie

1 sliced peeled banana

1 cup of fat free milk

1/2 cup of cold black coffee

2 tsp. of sugar

1/2 cup ice

Mix in a blender and enjoy - but, you know what?  I didn't like it.  Too much banana (so sad).  I guess I'm still looking for that perfect smoothie.  Any suggestions?

Reflections on a Yard Sale

Yesterday and today I had a yard sale at my house.  I prayed all week for the weather and for my sale to be successful.  My prayers were answered on both counts.  I learned some things while preparing for and conducting my sale.

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare!  It's a lot of work!  I've spent the last month sorting, cleaning, and pricing.
2. Some people cannot tell time.  I put 8:00 to 1:00 on my signs, but people were there at 7:00 am.
3. Make extra signs, because your signs can be stolen - sad, but true.
4. People cannot read your mind.  Clearly mark your items with a price.  I borrowed an easel from my church and set up a price board for books, clothes, shoes, etc.
5. Don't sell anything that you're emotionally attached to; remember, you want to get rid of the stuff.
6. If you price it right, they (customers) will come, and it (stuff) will go.
7. Presentation is huge.  Set up your yard sale so that it's easy for your customers to shop.
8. Have a plan for what you want to do with the items left over at the end of the day.  I called our city rescue mission to come and pick up the leftover items.

Even though it was a lot of work, I got rid of some of the clutter in my house, I made money, met some really nice people, and helped out a local charity - not bad, huh? 

Another Use for Junk Mail

Don't we all get too much junk mail?  The other day, when my sister got the mail, there it was - another piece of junk mail.  My sister looked at me and said, "you're a crafty person, why can't you figure out a way to use some of this junk mail besides throwing it into the recycling bin?"  Well, I thought about it for a couple of days and here's what I came up with.  I combined two of my favorite things, crafting and gardening, and came up with a junk mail planter.  It's easy to make and a good use of junk mail.

First I took a medium size clay pot and washed it thoroughly.

I painted the exterior with two coats of white craft paint.  Then I took a couple of pieces of junk mail and using a pair of scrap booking scissors, I cut the junk mail into different size pieces.  I used a pair of scissors that left an vvvvvv edge on the paper.  Next I traced around the edges of the paper with different colored permanent markers - this adds a little color.

Using Mod Podge, I glued the pieces of paper onto the clay pot.  I used strips of paper around the top of the pot.  When it was dry, I covered my planter with three coats of Mod Podge.  There you have it.  It only took a few hours to make, and now, I have a really cool planter.

Roasted Cauliflower

I planted three cauliflower plants this year.  Honestly, I only planted three because I didn't really believe they'd grow.  So I was very excited when I ended up with two heads of cauliflower.  I'm the only one in the house who eats cauliflower - not a problem since I love it.  I found a handwritten recipe for roasted cauliflower and thought I'd give it a try.  I wish I could remember where I got the recipe from because I like to give credit where credit is due.  It's a really simple recipe - and it is sooooo good.  I am not exaggerating - if you like cauliflower, you're going to  love this recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower

2 tbs. olive oil

1 head cauliflower (1.5 lbs)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Drizzle a 9" x 13" baking pan with 1 tbs. oil.  Cut the cauliflower vertically into 1/4" thick slices and place in the baking pan.  Drizzle the cauliflower with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Next year, I am definitely planting more cauliflower!

Mardi Gras mask

What's a Mardi Gras celebration without a mask?  I went to Mardi Gras about 10 years ago and bought a mask.  But, like most other things, I figured that I could make one of my own.  So here it is, just in time for Fat Tuesday!

 

I found the pattern for my mask at www.makingfriends.com.  I cut out two masks, one from purple card stock and one from purple fun foam.   Purple is one of my favorite colors!  I glued the purple fun foam to the card stock to reinforce my mask.  Then I decorated my mask with sequins and feathers.  I attached a straw using a paper clip for a handle.  That's it!  It was so easy!

The mask on the left was the one I bought in New Orleans.  The one on the right is the mask I made.

Here's a close-up of my mask.