Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Just some cute pictures of Easter!!!  The girls are so proud of their eggs!!!

Brittany and her Hello Kitty Egg

Adyson & her Donatello Egg

               

                          

LET THE HUNT BEGIN... 

As Adyson realized there were "girl colored eggs" and "boy colored eggs" she made Daddy hunt eggs with her! 

                       

                         


Hope everyone had a great Easter! See you next week! 

Foods of the week April 14th...

BREAKFAST

Homemade sausage gravy-

1 pound breakfast sausage

1/2 can of ROTEL

1 small onion finely chopped

1/2 cup of flour

3 cups hot milk

1 teaspoon pepper

Brown onion and sausage and Rotel together. Once browned sprinkle flour over-the-top. Mix flour and sausage together. Add milk and pepper and stir vigorously. Until you reach your desired consistency. 

Enjoy!!! 

DINNERS-

Roasted cauliflower-

One head cauliflower- rough chopped

2 tablespoons crushed garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pepper and onion powder

Preheat oven to 425°. Mix all ingredients. Using a cookie sheet lined it with aluminum foil and spray it. Poor cauliflower onto cookie sheet. Make sure it's all one layer. Put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Pull it out flip/stir the cauliflower, place back in the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until done. 

Half homemade macaroni and cheese -

1 box Horizon macaroni and cheese-  follow directions on the box

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup cottage cheese

Mix the cooked macaroni and cheese (after you followed the directions on the box) add feta and cottage cheese. Return to stove and cooking additional five minutes stirring as needed. 

Homemade tartar sauce- I will NEVER buy tartar sauce again!!!! 

This recipe is for individual use you can easily double it if you need more.

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 -1 teaspoon lemon juice (start small, you can always add more after you taste)

1/2-1 teaspoon dill (start small, you can always add more after you taste)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

a few shakes salt & pepper

Mix and taste! 

Sloppy Joes- These were amazing

1.25 lbs of ground beef

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon Montreal Seasoning

1 onion chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 tbl worchestershire sauce

1 -16 oz can  tomato sauce

2 tbl tomato paste

4 rolls/buns

Brown onion and meat together. Then mix everything else together and simmer for 10-15 minutes. ENJOY!!! I added shredded cheese to mine! 

Hamburger Taco casserole- 

2 lbs ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 -16 oz can tomato sauce

1 - 15 oz can black beans

1 can Rotel

8 8" tortillia shells

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbl chili powder

1 tea ground cumin

1 tbl crushed garlic

1.5 tea oregano

cook beef & onion in skillet until done. drain grease. add all other ingredients and simmer 5 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of beef mix in the bottom of  9x13 sprayed with non stick spray.

Layer with shells, the beef then cheese. Repeat until beef mix is gone. Top with cheese

Bake 350 for 20 minute! 

Sorry for such a short post. I'm having computer issues!!! More to come next week!!! 

Food of the week!

I have my favorites when it comes to food as does everyone. I hope you enjoy the recipes below! 

BREAKFAST-

Homemade oatmeal

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup water or milk

1/4 cup blueberries

Sprinkle pumpkin spice 

Sprinkle brown sugar

Sprinkle cinnamon

Cook on the stove,  5 minutes & enjoy!  YUMMY!!!

Ham & egg muffins

8oz small diced ham

1 cup shredded cheese

1/2 can rotel

12 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 tea paprika

1/4 tea turmeric 

Spray a 12 muffin tin with PAM.

Preheat oven to 350

Add 1 tablespoon of the ham, cheese, & rotel to each of the muffin cups. Mix eggs, milk, pepper, paprika & turmeric well.  Then pour over ham mix, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. 

Bake  at 350 for 20 minutes until eggs have set. ENJOY!!!!! 

(You can freeze them- put them in sandwich bags, to thaw - pop open sandwich bag, put in microwave about 40 seconds) 

SNACKS-

One of my favorite dips to make is called Pickle dip. It's very simple and it does with plain regular potato chips.

4 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1 Teaspoon dill pickle relish

1/4 teaspoon pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

2-3 splashes of Worchester sauce

Mixed well and enjoy immediately! If you have any leftovers you can refrigerate, but remember cream cheese hardens when it gets cold so the next time you want to dip you need to let it come to room temperature!

DINNER -

Ham steaks with hash brown casserole

Ham steaks- enough ham steaks for however many your feeding-I throw them in the frypan to warm them up just as the casserole coming out of the oven

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE-

26 ounce package of Southern style hashbrowns-(if you can't find southern style you can always add a small can of ROTEL)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream mushroom soup

1- 16 ounce container of sour cream

1 onion finely chopped

1 Teaspoon pepper and garlic powder

2 cups crushed cornflakes for the topping

1/4 cup melted butter. For the topping

Mix together first six ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon mix into lightly greased 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle cornflakes over-the-top. Drizzle melted butter over the top.

Bake 325° for 1 hour 15 minutes. 

                                   WHAT ARE YOU COOKING THIS WEEK?

Spring Time!!!

So I can not believe we are in APRIL!!! I am so ready for Spring and Summer! (And all things hot! -Olaf from FROZEN) The girls and I made our rows in the garden today. It was so nice outside. We also planted a bunch of annual flower seeds around the garden to help draw in the bees! We bought many seed packets, hummingbird mix, wildflower mix, zinnias, cosmos, etc. I am so excited. The girls actually had fun planting. My ONLY problem with gardening in Tennessee is the CLAY they have for dirt. That is probably the only thing I miss (besides my family of course)  from my home state of Washington is good black dirt!!!!


GARDENING-
Since I learned my lesson last year, I can not grow veggies inside then transfer them outside. The roots are not strong enough to dig into the clay. So we lost most of them last year. Some also got flooded out. Others killed off others. I tried a "sister" planting last year (corn, beans, squash) together the idea is the corn grows tall, the beans use the corn stalks and the squash keeps away the other critters. Well The beans choked the corn, and the squash took over!

So this year we are just plating a few seeds right in to the ground and buying some plants too! I love planning my gardens and researching plants and soil, etc.

So last January I planted some African Violet leaves does anyone remember? May 2013 I showed you that some of them had sprouted new leaves. Well here it is 14 months after planting, I must say I did loose 2 of the 6 I planted. The 4 that lived are ready to be transplanted to bigger pots!

(The 4th one was already transplanted)

UPDATES---

Goals for 2014 There are a few I need to improve on. I need to get in the habit of working out!! This is a hard one for me! I really need to focus and get in a routine.

My Half- Homemade Beauties  Its been that long since I made my beauty recipes. So it was time to make everything again. I think this time I will splurge and find another perfume oil I like and make a batch of soap.
Here is how I made melt & pour soap.

Adyson's Chart update- Adyson has been responding to her chart very well. I still have a few challenges but life is not perfect! The rewards at the end of the week are simple things such as a candy bar, match box car, staying up 1 hour passed bed time, rent 1 movie, etc. Nothing cost more the $3. She is thrilled at the end of the week.

Saving Money-  This has been working out great! Every week I put money in the bank by the chart! Its very easy to save for Christmas this way. I love knowing I have Christmas almost paid for already, because I did my savings in reverse from the chart.
Example week 1- deposit $52, week 2 $51, week 3 $50, etc... So I am on track for Christmas this year, are you?


                               WHAT DID YOU GET ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEK?

Little Updates...

I have been pretty busy this month with looking up projects for us to do over the next few weeks. I have found some great things on Pinterst Easter Crafts Board. Adyson is very excited to start some projects! We also started looking in to some Mother's Day and Father's Day crafts to do but nothing stood out yet.

We did do a test mug! I will up date you on how it came out!! Adyson wrote on it with Sharpie, we put it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I will test its durability and update you next post!

Adyson is growing up so fast! She wanted to be a big girl and put on nails. Needless to say they lasted about 3 hours.

                              

           

     April O'Neil and My Little Pony Tattoos     

The babies are getting so big. Everyone is 4 weeks old!!!

I did go to the Belmont Mansion in Nashville last weekend. Oh how I LOVE the Civil War time period!!! I recommend EVERYONE go see the mansions of the South. They are wonderful!

                                 

         


Sorry this is so short. I am working on a more detailed on for later in the week/month! Love you guys! No go out an ENJOY THE TIME YOU HAVE!!!!!

February in Review!

I know its been a MONTH since I last posted but life got away from me the month of February. It was a whirl wind of appointments and dentist appointments and Aunt Nancy came back for 10 days, Adyson's birthday party, my birthday, my mothers birthday, grandfathers birthday, etc... Oh did I mention all my baby goats (kids) were born last month too?

So Aunt Nancy made the decision to go back to Washington. We miss her already. She had a great trip to Texas. She came back to Tennessee to wrap up a few things and have eye surgery (which went very well). She was only here 10 days. It already seems so long ago. My how time does fly when you are busy.

Adyson started out the month sick with a nasty upper respiratory infection. Which resulted in 3 visits to the doctor. She was put on breathing treatments every 6 hours for 7 days. Brittany has had a few check up appointments and orthodontic appointments as well. I am hoping March will be a calmer month!

Adyson's birthday party was wonderful. She had such a hard time deciding the theme of her party. She FINALLY decided on My Little Pony. I made everyone's favorite meal, CHILI!!! Everyone had a great time!

Her icecream sundae from CHILIs

Her Donatello wall sticker for her birthday!

Adysons 5th Birthday
Fav Color- Purple
Fav Food- Hot dog w Mac & Cheese
When I grow up I want to be a worker like Daddy.

Adyson and cousin Angelina

testing out the TMNT gloves! 

showing off her NEW cowgirl boots! 

Then on my birthday this little guy was born! And his mother didn't pay much attention to him. So I had to bottle feed him during the first day. But he and his momma are doing great now! Adyson named him Tailspinner!

Then we came back from library(a few days later) and found these little girls! Doesn't one of the little girls look like her big sister OREO?? It tripped us out for a few minutes when we found them! Brittany named the white little girl Sparkle, Adyson named the black and white Twilight!

Then the next day Brittany found Cloudy! (Her mom is OREO)

        

Jackie and Brittany stuffing their face with some homemade tacos!!! They couldn't even wait to sit down at the table! (Don't you love Brittany's new hair cut? I do! )

  






Savings- Just an update on the weekly savings. Remember I am working backward/reverse from everyone else. Week 9 means I have $433 in my Christmas savings account! How much have you saved this year?

Don't forget the Snow/Rainy day activities so no one gets bored with all the snow days we are having!

What did you do in February? 

Bath Closet Clean Up

             Its very nice having a closet in your bathroom. As many of you might already know I am an EX-couponer. I have been out of the "loop of couponing" for almost 2 years. I would buy 4-10 papers, cut, clip, organize, stare at grocery ads, raid shelves, come home and stock pile. Well that works great when you have a family that can use everything. I learned from couponing that buying what was on sale this week for laundry soap, soap, shampoo, etc,  then buying something completely different the next week, started to cause all of us to have skin problems. Its one of the reasons I started in 2013 turning to natural and homemade products. 

BEFORE

Once I realized that all the switching of products was effecting my kids (and we had enough to last us a YEAR) I slowly stopped (we also ran out of room to put stuff). So with everything in this closet that causes us skin problems I had to find great homes for everything.


AFTER...I had my husband add another shelf to the top of the closet. I sorted everything, I kept what we could use. I donated the rest.

TOP Shelf- Now has a few body washes,

Middle Shelves- Wash clothes and towels

Bottom- Shampoo and toilet paper!

                                                 

                                               

Sorry this is so short, but its a bathroom closet. I cleaned it out. Organized the shelves. I donated stuff that could no longer be used.

What did you clean today?