Slow Cooking Thursday!!!

Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange. It's such a great way to share your avorite dishes or to learn some new ones to make for your family.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Ingredients

* 4 c cooked chicken, chopped up
* 1 c celery, diced
* 2 tspn herbes (I used chervil, chives, parsley, and tarragon)
* 1 c carrots, diced
* 1/2 c frozen peas
* 1 c onions, diced
* 4 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
* 2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 2 c egg noodles, cooked
* salt, to taste
* pepper, to taste


Directions

1. Pull the skin off your chicken and cut up the meat.
2. Put your celery, onions, carrots, peas and chicken in the slow cooker.
3. Stir in your broth, herbs, and mushroom soup.
4. Season with a little salt and pepper (to your tastes).
5. Cover this and cook it for 3-4 hours on *high* OR 8 hours on *low*.
6. When it is finished, mix in your noodles and season a bit.
7. Enjoy!

Image credit: The Augusta Chronicle

SLOW COOKED CORN PUDDING

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 16 oz can cream-style corn
4 large eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Saute onion and green pepper until slightly softened; add tomato and saute for 1 minute more. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, creamed corn and seasonings; add the sauteed vegetables. Lightly grease a 3 1/2 quart Crock Pot (or a souffle dish which fits in a larger Crock Pot) and pour the mixture in. Cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours; add grated cheese to the top and cook until cheese is melted.

Out of the box!!!

I'm literally surrounded by hundreds of boxes, little, medium and humongous ones. I have to say that moving hasn't really been that bad, I mean obviously it's not something you want to do every other weekend but it's also not this horrid affair. I think the way you look at things makes all the difference, if you go into it already upset and dreading every minute I can guarantee you that everything will go wrong.....but if you go into it the way we have, with the "it's just a move, go with the flow", thinks will run smoothly.

So the packers were here yesterday from 10am to 6pm, they got everything done while chatting and laughing and joking around with us.....we were lucky to have such sweet guys here. It's a bit unnerving when you know other people are touching your private stuff....I kept saying to Curt

"are you SURE we didn't leave anything weird laying around?"

"nothing that would freak the people out?"

"did I remember to pack all our clothes, I really don't know how I feel about someone touching my underwear".

I admit, I think I drove my husband kooky with all my questions.

I've got the movers here right now and they've only been here for 2 hours and pretty much already emptied the house, all that is left is moving the stuff into the actual truck. We've been really lucky with the people we've dealt with and I couldn't say enough good things about both the packers and movers. Thank you Lord for sending them our way.

Here's what my living room and kitchen look like....isn't it cozy? LOL


The house feels so empty and it's sad because I already miss seeing my house the way it was, though I am looking forward to starting fresh and redoing a whole new house.

We've already got a couple houses available to us at the new base so next week thursday we're heading over with the housing lady to look at them and pick the one we want...I'm SO excited. Another blessing from God!!
If you're military you know how hard it is at times to get a house on base, there's long waiting lists, some as long as 18 months. Here we are with not only a house available but a few to pick from.....is that not something???

So I'm heading out right now, need to go get some pizza for lunch, it's only fair that we feed the movers while they're here.

I'll be coming by to visit all your blogs soon and say hi to the new faces, I've noticed a lot of new bloggy friends dropping by while I've been busy. I'm so sorry I've missed you all but I promise to make you feel welcome just as soon as this craziness around me subsides.

God Bless,

Know where I wish I was????

Right there, on that chair, looking out into the ocean and feeling the warm sun on my skin, not a care in the world, just getting a tan while sipping a margarita. Doesn't that sound good???

So I'm sitting down for the first time since I woke up yesterday, woke up from a very bad night's sleep. You ever have those nights where you feel exhausted but you can't get comfortable, then you toss and turn all night and keep looking at the clock seeing the time go by, then you get annoyed because that's yet another hour less of sleep??? Isn't that the worst???

Curt was only supposed to go into work for an hour yesterday and then be done. Well sunday afternoon he got a call from his flight chief, they've just started an exercise so he needed him to come in and cover for someone......12 hour shift starting at 4am. 4am?!?!?!?!
It means that he has to be up no later than 3am to get ready and be at work on time, but you know as a wife you never really sleep through their "getting ready" routine.

You shut your eyes tightly and try to drown out the "where's my shirt?"..."have you seen my keys"...."now what did I do with my wallet?". For goodness sake's, just get your stuff ready the night before LOL
I can't complain too much though, he does make the coffee in the morning and leaves a full pot ready for when I get up, isn't that the sweetest thing?

We've got the house ready to be packed and now we're just sitting here waiting for the movers to arrive, I'm getting frustrated because I want them to be here early, get the stuff packed and leave my house before dinner, yes I know I'm being unreasonable but I don't care.
All the dust in this house is making my allergies flare up, I'm cranky, I'm all sniffly and itchy, I have a huge headache and I am already tired of living out of a suitcase and a kitchen cabinet.

Lord give me patience and strength to make it through the next two days, if I can get through these without hitting someone with a stick, I'll be GOOD to go. LOL

Want to know what's even worse than all this for me??? We started moving the couch away from the wall to pick up the toys the kids have been throwing back there and TA DA...mouse droppings all over. I did hear a loud scream come from inside me and I believe I may have jumped and ran into the kitchen, I'm not sure because it's a blur.

If there is one animal on earth that I really can not handle are mice, they turn me into a blabbering screeching fool. You should have seen me trying to get rid of the mess...I looked like someone walking out of a hazardous material area, mask and gloves and the whole shebang.
I also managed to spot the hole the little frigger had made to get in and out of the house.....just the thought that he's been allowed to roam free is enough to make me sing halleluiah for moving out of here.

Do I sound very bitter or annoyed??? I really don't mean to LOL
Going through the move almost makes me not want to buy our own house in a year or two....maybe I can buy the house on base and pay a nifty sum for it so I don't ever have to do this again. Think the USAF would go for that??? Nah??? Didn't think so!

Well my friends the movers just arrived so I'm going to skidaddle on out of here, I'm sure they're thrilled to walk into a house with a frazzled, allergy laden, glove wearing lady...all I need are a 20 cats and I'm sure I could scare them all away LOL

Have a great tuesday, I'll be back tomorrow,

Pack a box or clean up doggie doo doo????

Oh how great it is to be me, I swear things happen that make me shake my head and wonder if the universe is just playing a cruel joke......this is just an example of how things usually go around here.

Today we have to dismantle both trampoline and swing set and I find myself coming up with all sorts of excuses to not do it.
Funny thing is that most of the time I don't even have to try and find something else to do, I just bring it upon myself.
Like this morning I went into the kitchen and started up the coffee machine.....if you know me at all you will understand the love I have for that thing. (hence why I'm taking it with me on the move, if a mover comes at me with a box for my coffeemaker, I will seriously hurt somebody!)

I get the coffee going and then look around the kitchen and remember "I need to finish packing that instant aid box". I walk over to it and notice that one of the dogs has pooped right next to the box, so I walk into the bathroom to get toilet paper and notice that the seat is up, before I set it down I decide to just go ahead and give the toilet a good clean, which I do. When I'm done I figure the whole bathroom might as well get a once over to match the sparkly clean toilet.....yeah you know where this is heading, I cleaned the bathroom.

When I was done I walked into the living room and sat at the computer chair to check my email, the dog poop and the "instant aid box" completely out of my mind. Then I realize that I haven't had my coffee so I got into the kitchen and pour myself a cup. Now I'm sitting there sipping the coffee and start looking around again trying to remind myself of what needs to be done, lo and behold I see the box again, which prompts me to walk towards it only THIS time I wasn't as lucky because I stepped RIGHT into that doggie doodoo.
Moral of the story??? ALWAYS WEAR SLIPPERS AROUND THE HOUSE!!!!

I am happy to report that the poop has been cleaned up, my feet washed, the box has had some more items added to it and I'm happily sipping on the now cold coffee, not sure why I'm so happy about that but I guess anything is better after you've literally stepped in it.

It's pretty much crunch time and from today until thursday morning we'll be busy and exhausted and overwhelmed and stressed. It's going to be a rollercoaster of emotions but I'm fully prepared for it, I even bought some kleenex in case I have a little meltdown LOL

Since we'll be staying at the house until we leave, we won't have anything but our clothes, a small tv, the kids video games, our computers and an air mattress to sleep on. Sound like fun???
See I thought that I would be freaking out but then I realize that this will be an adventure, when do you ever get to camp out in your living room and eat out of paper plates on the floor???
Other than the times mommy is too tired to use actual dishes for dinner and couldn't care less if they sprawl out in front of the tv, though in my defense that has only happened when I'm really sick or lately with all the packing.

Well Curt just woke up and we need to get things under way, can't wait until the whole house is echoing because that will mean everything is gone. Watch out Arizona, here comes trouble LOL

You all have a wonderful sunday, have a glass of iced tea for me will ya??? I'm going to be sweaty and cranky by the time the day is over. Oh the joys of moving!!!

Goodness it's friday already!!!

It's been a pretty fast week for us, I was hoping time would slow down and let me enjoy the last few days we have on this base, but I guess not. As the move gets closer I'm filled with such sadness, I can't believe that in a week or so we will be out of here forever, my home......it's sad!!!

So this weekend we have tons of things to do, here's our to-do list just to give you an idea:

1. Dismantle trampoline and get it ready for the move
2. Clean out Grill/Smoker for move
3. Mow front and back yards
4. Empty shed
5. Take swing set and other trash to the dump
6. Take down all shelves, pictures etc
7. Take apart kitchen table
8. Take apart bunkbeds and Nicholas car bed
9. Get rid of anything we don't want the movers packing
10. Weigh Truck and SUV
11. Replace tires on SUV
12. Finish packing whatever we're taking with us for the Partial Move.
13. Clean house for inspection

And that is just what I can remember off the top of my head, I have everything written down on a list and let me tell you, one look at it is enough to make me want to cry and run for the hills. Wish I could enlist the help of a whole team of people but I think I have the most important one on my side, God.
Yep, I hope He's ready for me, because I plan on whining my way through this LOL

I have to keep reminding myself that I can do all of this and that it's nothing so trivial or mundane that He won't be interested in. I'm sure He will help and I plan on being aware of what is going on so that I can relay to you exactly the instances where I noticed Him at work.

The kids are starting to ask questions, lots of questions, "but can we come back here when we're done moving?"......."I don't want to go, I'm gonna miss my house"....."but what if the movers loose my toys?"......."but I don't want to leave lola and bella behind".

It's tough on them they don't understand why we have to leave our home behind and explaining to them that we're going to a new home doesn't seem to make it any easier. Such is the life of a military family though, moving from place to place, you don't really have a HOME until the day you retire and buy yourself a house.

Moving on, I'm going to try to update my food blog today, it's been a few days since I've posted anything in there, guess due to the fact that I really haven't spent much time in the kitchen and the meals I prepare in the middle of this confusion are simple, quick and not blog worthy....BELIEVE YOU ME!!!
Unless you're interested in frozen pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches and spaghetti....which by the way, my family loves but I've got it coming out the wazoo right now. !!!!

I'm going to try and come by to say hi, if not this morning then later tonight after the kids are in bed.

Hope you're all having a great friday, enjoy the warm weather!!!

Show and Tell Friday!!!

The wonderful Kelli over at "There's no place like home" has started this friday feature, here's what she had to say:

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!" Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, a new antique find, an old love letter. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there's a story behind your special something, that's even better!

If you would like to join in, all you have to do is post your "Show and Tell" on your blog, copy the post link, come over here and add it to Mr. Linky.

It's been two weeks since I've participated, life just got in the way as usual and between packing for a move next week, flying to my MIL's wedding and everything else in between, I didn't get a chance to do this, so I'm glad I have some time to join in today.

Again, this is another treasure I had shared a long time ago on my blog, but it's one that is so near and dear to my heart that it deserves to be shown again, if you've been one of my readers for a long time, you know how much I love and admire my greatgrandmother.

First let me tell you a bit about her. She was born in 1906 and when she was 4 years old her mother died of cancer. Her father then took on the sole responsibility of raising her and her older brother, until he remarried and then had another son. Within a few years, and when her older brother was 29, he was suddenly killed while out fishing. Apparently he was struck by lightning and fell into the ocean. Now my greatgrandma had been cooking and taking care of the house since she was a little girl, around 8 or 9. Her dad had to work so she would make sure he had his meals ready when he got home.
Unfortunately when she was 13 years old, she came home from school only to find her father had hung himself in the kitchen.

Such a tragic life she had and you would have thought it would be enough to keep her down, but it didn't, she was the strongest and most courageous woman I have EVER come across.
She married when she was 16 years old and her husband, my greatgrandpa, was 26. They had a wonderful life together, but he unfortunately also later passed away with cancer when she was just 40 something years old.

My bio was the family matriarch. She pretty much raised me and my brothers while our parents were out working, she cooked meals for sometimes 20 people, took care of the housework, the kids, anything and everything. One of the things I most treasure and remember was her nightly ritual. She would get ready for bed and then sit down, kiss the photo of her husband and pray, then go to sleep. This went on for years and years and years.
She got really sick when she was 94 years old, and I remember the day I left South Africa to come to the States. I kissed her goodbye and gave her a huge hug and told her I loved her, she just smiled back at me so sweetly and said "I love you sandra, you be a good wife and a good mother and I hope to see you someday soon".

That was September 1998!!!
March 24, 1999, I was laying in bed and the phone rang at 5am, it was one of my older brothers and I knew what he was going to say. She passed away a month before Jasmine was born.
My heart still aches for her and I miss her terribly, but I know she's watching over me and the kids.

I will forever be greatful for what she taught me, I am the woman I am today because of HER.
I have a few items that belonged to her, and I treasure them dearly.

This is my greatgrandfather. I have the original jewelry box which contains this pendant. It's so beautiful and I love looking it at it every chance I get. :)

This is an old old old pin that my greatgrandmother used to wear. She passed this on to my daughter Jasmine. I am keeping it for her until she's old enough to take care of it :)



This ring belonged to my greatgrandmother and was given to her by my greatgrandfather. I always loved looking at it, so when she passed away, it was one of the things that came to me. I try not to wear it too often for fear of loosing it. :)


And there you have it, and now I'm in tears again so I'll just skidaddle on out of here :)

Slow Cooking Thursday!!!

Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange. It's such a great way to share your avorite dishes or to learn some new ones to make for your family.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Chorizo

Copyright, 2006, Robin Miller, All rights reserved

1 pound green split peas
10 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound diced chorizo or andouille sausage
1 1/2 cups diced carrot
1 cup diced shallot
1 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves and season with salt and black pepper before serving.

Island Bread Pudding

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee, 2007

1 pound Hawaiian Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (recommended: King's)
1 cup pineapple chunks (recommended: Dole)
1 (7-ounce) bag dried tropical fruit trio (recommended: Sun Maid)
1 (12-ounce) can coconut milk (recommended: Thai Kitchen)
1/4 cup dark rum (recommended: Myers's)
1 cup pineapple-coconut nectar (recommended: Kern's)
1 cup brown sugar (recommended: C and H)
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Spray the inside of a 4 or 5-quart slow cooker with butter-flavored cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, pineapple, and dried tropical mix.

In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, rum, nectar, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and salt. Pour over bread mixture. Stir until well combined and bread is saturated.

Transfer to slow cooker. Dot with butter. Cover and cook on low setting for 3 to 4 hours.

You wanna make a memory????

Have you all heard the new Bon Jovi song, You want to make a memory???

Now I know if you're anything like me, I was and always have been a HUGE Bon Jovi fan and for some reason they just seem to get better and better as time goes by. Jon Bon Jovi is very easy on the eyes too and doesn't seem to have aged an ounce.....wonder what his secret is and if he would tell us??? LOL

We're having a really hot day today, it's 96 degrees and I'm melting on the spot....well not really, but it feels like it. Doesn't it make you want to laugh at me already, I mean I'm complaining about it being too hot in Idaho when in 2 weeks I'll be driving to Arizona LOL
We'll talk about the heat once I get there!!! LMAO

These next few days I'm going to be so busy, this weekend we have to dismantle the trampoline, make sure the smoker/grill is spotless, mow the yards and prepare for the Housing Inspection walk through. I don't know if I'm feeling lazy or maybe I'm just in denial that we'll be out of here so soon, but I really really don't want to do anything. Can I just snap my fingers or click my heels 3 times and have it all done???? No??? Didn't think so, oh well.


I have to ask, did anyone else see the Matt Lauer special with the Princes William and Harry?? Am I the only one who just loves these boys??? They're both so handsome and I loved their interview with Matt, they're down to earth and so sweet and the way they remembered their mom Princess Diana was just precious. They're planning a concert this year to commemorate the 10th year of her death.

I enjoyed hearing them talk about their lives and how they deal with being in the public eye all the time, their relationships with their girlfriends and family, what they think of their mother's death and what their plans are for the future. If you didn't catch the interview, try to next time it's just wonderful.


Anyway, I'm going through the stuff in the house, throwing out things we don't need and organizing what we do, and I just realized that we have way too much crap. Do we seriously need any of this??? I don't understand why people collect so much stuff, stuff that doesn't serve a purpose at all. Then it hit me, I'm emotionally attached to certain things.

You know like that piece of paper that I you can't bear to part with because you got it during a certain point in your life, or it brings back some sort of memory....and I tell myself, memories are in the heart and in our minds, we'll still have them, but I can't bear to throw it out. I swear it plays tricks on my mind.....I actually envision the paper slowly falling into the trash can, looking up at me with hurt in his eyes (or eye or does it even have any? lol) and saying "Noooooooooo, don't let me gooooooo". How's that for nutty??? LOL

I'm really going to have to think outside the box this time and force myself to part with that little flower stem that is in my purse, or that torn off piece of paper that reminds me of a few years back. *sigh* Wish me luck!!!

I'm sure you all noticed that I dropped by yesterday, I feel so out of the loop, like the whole world actually keeps moving when I'm not able to join in....that's so unfair isn't it? LOL
Shouldn't there be a rule against blogging when someone is not around??? You all just continued on with your lives and happenings and I showed up in the end waving balloons and acting like I know what I'm talking about LOL....it's a sad sad thing

Anyway, I need to get going, I have things waiting to get done and as much as I beg them, they just won't do it alone.

I would give anything for some rain right now, it's hot as ever here. See you all tomorrow, don't forget it's Slow Cooking Thursday and for once I would like to see TONS of participants, what do you say, will you give the girl a hand and get your bloggy friends to join in just this once???

God Bless,

He's always there!!!!

You ever have those days where everything just seems to go wrong and all you want to do is run away??? Maybe hide under a rock for a while and come out when things are all better???

Today was one of those for me.

I got up this morning, got things ready for the moving guy to come by and then waited. Right after he left I decided to make sure we had rooms available at TLF (Temporary Housing Facility) for next week. Then it started, I literally felt like I was being tested and pushed and pulled in different directions.

"I'm sorry ma'am but we have no rooms available for people with pets, you'll have to keep them in a kennel or stay in a motel off base"....Ummmm, not exactly what I wanted to hear.

Curt was still home so we started going back and forth trying to figure out what to do, we tried to move our housing inspection day and were flat out told NO.

Our only other option was to stay in a motel off base which was going to cost us $70 a night, plus $4 each dog per night. Yeah not exactly viable since we needed 5 days and are not exactly swimming around in money. It's that whole military pay thing.

I started calling around, trying to think of what to do but most of all I started praying, please please God, help us out here, something's got to give, either a room on base or housing inspection date, something, anything.

It's a very scary place to be, you feel completely helpless and out of control, but I think it's these times that God uses to teach us to relax and put things in his hands. Not easy, but doable right???

I did my part, I called around, I tried different options and then I let it go, whatever happens happens, I replayed that in my mind over and over.

Things were about to take a different turn. Curt came home and called TLF again, all of his coworkers had offered to keep the dogs at their house so that we would be able to get a room at TLF. We thought everything was taken care of, until the man on the other side of the phone told him that now they had NO rooms available anywhere on base, no rooms for people with pets OR without. You have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I mean honestly, it's ridiculous.

So now we're thinking, we are in a lot of trouble we have absolutely no place to stay at all and we need to be out of the house on the 28th, guess we'll be living in our cars or shelling out way too much money for a motel off base.

We were literally down in the dumps feeling completely helpless, so I sent out one last prayer.

"Father, I've tried, I've waited with patience and with purpose but now I'm really begging for some help".

Curt picked up the phone and called Housing again explain what our situation was, and guess what....yeah I'm sure by now you're all at the edge of your seats, huge grins on your faces because you know what's coming right???? Yeah, they've moved our inspection date to the 2nd of July, the day we actually leave Idaho.

Which means, we are able to stay in our house until that day....no worrying about a place for the dogs or expensive motels etc. Our cable and phone doesn't get cut until the day we leave and since we're doing a partial dity, we'll be able to have some blow up mattresses, our computers, a small tv, our clothes and whatever else we may need for those few days.....now tell me we don't have an absolutely amazing God?!?!?!?

I'm thrilled beyond words, I'm so so blessed and so happy. Ok and now I'm going to stop babbling about it.

The good news as well is that I will be able to blog and be online, will only be gone while we're actually driving to Arizona and then while we wait to get phone and internet plugged back in :)

Anyway, it's almost 10pm and I am exhausted, nothing like some stress to wipe you out.
Hope you all have a wonderful day, I'll be back tomorrow and I'll come by and visit you all too :)

God Bless,

Happy Father's Day!!!

I want to start by wishing my dad a wonderful father's day, he's been such a blessing in my life and I'm lucky to have him. I wish I could be there with him as he celebrates today but unfortunately I'm thousands of miles away....but I'll be there in spirit and thought.

Happy Father's Day dad!!!

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

Author unknown

Time isn't stopping for anyone, it's just zipping by. I find that I hardly have a chance to come on the computer and check email, nevermind blogging and visiting you all, it's just not possible right now.

I've been calm about the move and not worrying at all, but suddenly last night it hit me, we have one week left in this house, YES, ONE.WEEK. Wow, after 9 years it's finally time to move on. I am excited but I'm dreading, I have this overwhelming feeling of sadness and I swear I could cry at any little thing. Unbelievable how attached we become to material things.

If I sit back and think about it, it's really not bad, we'll still be the same family, we'll still have all our things, we'll still keep the same friends and online friends, we'll just be in a different location.
Most of all, God follows us no matter where we go, and THAT is a relief isn't it??? There's no state or country that He can't get to.

So this week we're busy busy busy. Tomorrow morning we have the moving company coming for a walk through to see how much packing material they'll need and to go over some last minute details, which means today we're cleaning, packing and removing anything that is NOT going.
The rest of the week we'll be doing the same thing because next week monday is our last day in the house.

There's lots to do and hope for nothing to be forgotten. I'm not sure how much I'll be here from today, I'll try to pop in but chances are you may not hear from me for a while, it maybe be 3 weeks before you see another post.

I've just finished my Menu Plan for this coming week, it's going to be easy meals, paper plates and cups and no time spent in the kitchen. We have to make sure all the appliances are spotless for the housing inspection, so the least I make a mess on them the better.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the thought of no tv and no internet for at least 2 weeks is driving me crazy. There I said it, go ahead and laugh or bash or whatever you want to do, I can take it. I just can't take the fact that I won't be able to see my favorite shows or chat online and check email.....good grief I sound pathetic LOL

Anyway, I have things to do and not enough time to do it, so I better skidaddle on out of here.

Have a wonderful sunday, be good and continue the amazing bloggage, I will try to pop in but if I can't, I guess I'll see you in a couple weeks. Pray that we make a safe and uneventful trip across the states.

God Bless,

Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange. It's such a great way to share your avorite dishes or to learn some new ones to make for your family.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

Betsy's Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients:

2 pounds round steak -- cut 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Put steak cubes, onion, garlic in cooker. Stir in flour and mix to coat steak. Add all remaining ingredients except sour cream. Stir well and cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving and stir thoroughly. Serve over hot buttered noodles.

Prayers for Sarah Please!

I have made such amazing friends through my blog and one of them is Sarah, she's just an amazing lady with so much to offer, she has thought provoking posts, laugh out loud posts and those that bring tears to your eyes....needless to say I just love her to death.

Sarah's come down with a case of Shingles, let me tell you it's painful and it's horrible. I distinctly remember my stepmom going through the same when I was about 12 or 13 years old and it was just horrible for her. So please, say a prayer for Sarah, I'm sure some of you know her from "A Bend in the Road".

I'm a little on the off side today, my allergies came in full force again, it's this pet dander that's really getting to me. I already used Nasonex but it makes me a little dizzy and gives me headaches, I swear I have no luck with these allergy medicines, so I'm hoping it all goes away within this week, wouldn't it be awful to be moving and driving for days feeling this way???

I know I'll be pushing through today and trying to get things done when all I really want to do is climb into bed and take a long long nap, if only my kids would cooperate, but I doubt I'll get them back in bed before 8pm tonight.

Thank you for the ideas on easy meals while moving, it's definitely going to help to have things organized and as easy as possible. The next 2 weeks we're going to be sorting through things and making sure they're in the right rooms so that when the movers come we don't end up with toys in the bathroom boxes (don't ask).

I have to tell you, I finally got through all the menu plan participants last night, all 112 of them, yes I stopped at 112 because everytime I refreshed the page there seemed to be someone new. I don't know, I think it's great to have big of a response but good grief, where do you find the time to visit everyone???

Since it's summer, the kids tend to become bored, so I decided to go online and search for a bunch of things for them to do, thereby completely removing the "I'm Bored" words from their vocabulary.

So here is what I found, hopefully it will help some of you out there with bored kids at home:

How about some "letterboxing" with the kids....or a Treasure Bottle (just love the Family Fun site and mag)

PBSkids.org is another fun site with so many great ideas, just look at this City built out of recycled materials....or maybe some Cauldron Bubbles or some Recycling paper?

I also found a page full of Paper Toys to make.

I saw another blog where she came up with a list of things to do for the summer, it was so cute and the title itself was hilarious "60 ways to leave your mother alone" LOL....go on over and read it, I've saved the link myself and will use it once we're done with our move to Arizona.

So there ya go, don't ever say I don't contribute to the blogging community somehow LOL

I have laundry to put away, yes I know I've been slacking off on that, I just wish the Laundry Elves would come and do that for me, it's not too much to ask is it???

I also need to go see what's for dinner so that I can prepare, thaw or whatever is needed for it.

Hope you all have a wonderful day, God Bless,

Well Dabaganabit, the cold remains.....

At least the sore throat is gone but I have the sniffles and my sinus is having a field day, but what is new right??? I should be the poster child for sinus issues!

Nicholas is still sick, he sounds like he's been hitting the whiskey bottle, his nose is running a mile a minute and his eyes are red from not sleeping well, poor thing....I just hope it all goes away soon.

So we have 2 weeks left in this house, I didn't think I would be saying those words so soon, it feels like just yesterday I was breaking news that we got orders to another base, now the move is upon us and I'm excited and sad and nervous and a bunch of other things.

It's such an overwhelming feeling to know that in just a short time you will be driving away from the house you've been in for 9 years, have built memories, had children, had ups and down and joys and sorrows...and it's not to say that our new house won't become the same for us over the years....but it's just sad to leave this one behind.

But moving on, I tried to visit as many blogs as I could for the Menu Plan Monday, but good grief who has time to go see over 100 blogs??? I certainly don't, so I saw about half of them and will leave the rest for later. In the meantime if you want to my menu for this week, just head over to "Full Bellies Happy Kids".

So last night Curt and I were watching tv, the History Channel, and there was this very interesting show called "Last Days on Earth".

Could the human race become suddenly extinct? We count down seven ways in which the world as we know it could meet an abrupt and untimely end, from a mammoth asteroid strike to the eruption of a super volcano. What would happen as computers literally become trillions of times smarter than we are--would they program our mass murder? Scientists, experts, and witnesses describe these and other vividly pictured disaster scenarios, from super bugs created in secret labs to black holes that could suck earth into oblivion. Using state-of-the-art computer-generated graphics and interviews with the world's top scientists, we will leave viewers pondering humanity's place in the universe and will reveal the most terrifying truth of all--that our greatest enemy is ourselves.

It was really good but thought provoking and quite a few times we just looked at each other and said "wow, that's scary". I guess that's why some people say Ignorance is Bliss, I mean, if you don't know about it you won't have to worry, but I am one of the few who actually likes knowing what's ahead, it scares me to think of the possibilities but I'm also not going to freeze and panic and start playing the what if game.

Really, if you get a chance to catch this show, watch it, it's good!

I have been trying to catch up on housework and I am ashamed to say that the one bag from our trip is STILL waiting to be reached but in my defense, I have not been feeling well and I have little sick ones to take care of. I guess my Martha-ness is going to have to be backburnered right now until I feel better. Tst Tst Tst, what a shame!

In two weeks, like I stated above, we'll be in TLF (temporary living facilities) here on base so I'm not doing planned menus and grocery shopping etc. Here is where you come in, I really need help with some easy and inexpensive ideas for meals while moving, it has to be quick, easy to fix and not require tons of pots and pans etc.

Paper plates is a must for us during this period, I have to laugh because my dad HATES eating out of paper plates so I always think of him when eating out of one.
Clean up has to be easy too, we have the house to clean and get ready for the Housing inspection so the least mess we add on, the BETTER.

I have so much to do around here, so I'll get going, here's what's going on in my house today:


Laundry
Paperwork
Bills


Watching:

General Hospital
Wife Swap
Supernanny


Eating:

Right now I have Annie's Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken going, it smells SOOO good in here.

Seriously, if you're missing a kitchen knife

I believe it may be stuck in my throat, you can come by at any time to remove it, please, actually I will PAY you to remove it. *sigh*

(btw, remind me to NEVER do a search online for sore throat again, the images that came up had me gagging)

So remember I told you Curt was sick, he pretty much started getting a sore throat on the airplane back home and then when he got here I distinctly told him I was not interested in his cold, but alas, he's such a wonderful hubby that he shares everything with me LOL

Actually the kids got it first and then passed it on, and I'm pretty much the last link on the chain, unless I pass it to the pugs, but that won't work, so I'm stuck with it for as long as it wants me, which hopefully is not long, maybe I can act as boring as possible and make it RUN for the next victim???

The past 2 days have been absolute hell, I have a house that is screaming for attention, I still have a bag from the trip that needs to be unpacked, and if you know me and have been reading my blog for a while, you KNOW how anal I get with cleaning and organizing, so it's taking everything out of me to walk by this luggage and not tear into it like a crazed animal.

The problem is that Nicholas and I have had NO sleep the past 2 nights, he's had really high fevers and gets delirious and then because he doesn't feel well he wants to sleep with mommy, it wouldn't be so bad but the getting kicked in the stomach and bonked on the head is really getting old. He gets so hot that I actually move away from him and the more I scoot further away on the bed, the closer he gets to me, it's sort of a tag on the bed thing going on all night long.

I'm exhausted, my throat is killing me, I'm congested and I just realized last night that I'll be out of this house in 3 weeks, nothing like that realization to knock you on your tushie.

Now I'm sitting here with my coffee and a full pot in the kitchen, I WILL visit all of you this morning, I certainly enough have enough caffeine to get me through it....hope there's interesting posts out there, I need something funny or thought provoking and since I won't find any of that on my own blog, I search through yours LOL

You know what I just realized, I had a comment from my sweet brother in law Chris, he's such a sweetheart....Love ya Chris, thanks for dropping by.

Alright so let me see, what has been going on here, other than us all being sick, my Durango needs new tires before we leave for Arizona. I was driving it the other day and Curt brought to my attention that my front right tire had this white line going down it, when we went to inspect it turns out it's the actual metal/whatever from the inside showing through, but only on THAT one. HUH?!?!?! So yeah, I need new tires!

We have packing left to do, we've decided to do a partial DITY move which means we move some of the stuff and get paid for it. Hey, anything that gives me some extra cash is worth it and since we're not moving that far from this state, it's totally doable.

I've been trying to update my food blog and I have so many recipes to add, but, if you haven't been by there in a while, I'm sure you'll find some new ones you might want to try.

I guess I should get a move on even though I would like nothing more than to just sit here and chat all day. My to do list is not that big for today, I just wish my body would cooperate but feeling sick just makes me want to cuddle in bed with a good book or movie.....again, where are those little elves to help when you need them???

Have a great saturday everyone, God Bless,

Slow Cooking Thursday!!! June 7

Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange. It's such a great way to share your avorite dishes or to learn some new ones to make for your family.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

On monday I made the Slow Cooker Pork on a Bun that Lori posted last week, it was delicious, the family loved it and it's definitely going down on my favorite recipes list. Thank you Lori :) THUMBS UP!

For tonight I'm fixing Smokehouse Burgers, it's not a slow cooker meal but it's one we've been wanting to try for a while, will let you know how those turn out :)

Crockpot Fish Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 pounds frozen fish filets (catfish, haddock, etc.)
* 1/4 lb. bacon or salt pork, diced
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 2 cups water
* 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
* 1/4 tsp. pepper
* 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

PREPARATION:

Thaw frozen fish in refrigerator. Cut into bite-sized pieces. In skillet, saute bacon or salt pork and onion until meat is cooked and onion is golden. Drain and put into Crock Pot with the fish pieces.

Add potatoes, water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 8 hours. Add evaporated milk during last hour.

Crockpot Salmon Bake

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 cans (16 ounces each) salmon
* 4 cups bread crumbs, soft, about 10 slices of bread
* 1 can tomatoes in puree, about 15 ounces
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 can condensed cream of onion soup
* 2 Chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
* 6 Eggs, well beaten
* 1 can condensed cream of celery soup
* 1/2 cup Milk


PREPARATION:

Generously grease crockpot. Combine all ingredients, except celery soup and milk, in removable liner. Place liner in base. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. Combine cream of celery soup with 1/2 cup of milk and heat in saucepan.

Serve sauce with the salmon casserole.

Feels good to be home!

No matter how much you enjoy visiting family it's always a wonderful feeling when you step through your door and are surrounded by your things and especially your BED. What is up with motel beds??? Who made those pillows??? They're huge, they're hard and they're a pain in the neck, literally!

Anyway, we got back last night around 11pm and I've been busy since then, had to get groceries today and still need to put all the luggage away but I'm not in the mood, instead I decided to come say hi and bring you pictures.

Thank you all for the comments left wishing us a safe trip there and back, we really did have a good trip, no delays at all, wonderful flights and well behaved kids, what more could you ask for right?

Leaving Boise on the way to Salt Lake City, UT

So anyway, I'm sure you're all dying to know about the wedding, it was wonderful and I haven't seen mom that happy in a long time, actually both bride and groom were literally glowing. It's something seeing two people so happy and in love.

We got to Oklahoma City on friday night, just in time for some major thunderstorms, it was scary, the lightning was striking all around us, there was thunder and so much rain, just what you want to see when you know you have about 5 hours drive to Texas. Yes, the wedding was in Texas so we had a long drive ahead.....it wasn't so bad because Curt's cousin Cindy, her daughter Laura and Chris his brother were there to pick us up and drive with us. What a blast!!!

We always have the best time when we get together, too bad that it's usually just for a day or two, we seriously need to plan some vacation time that lasts at LEAST a week. The kids took to Laura and Cindy straight away, I'm still hearing about how much they love them and miss them.

After a long drive, this is how Nicholas and Chris looked when we arrived at the motel LOL

We finally got into Sherman, Texas around 11pm at night, met up with Mom and Ken and her sister Aunt Carol who had also flown in from Virginia for the wedding. Everyone stayed at the same hotel which was wonderful, we had kids going back and forth between rooms, adults outside in the hallway happily chatting away and the sound of laughter, BOY the sound of laughter, that is one thing we do when we're all in the same room, laugh until our sides hurt.

Saturday morning was a rush, we went to IHOP for breakfast and then headed straight to the church for rehearsal. Nicholas was happy being the Truth Bearer but after the second try he said he was done and wanted to go home LOL




It took some bribing and coercing to get him to do it when the wedding actually started, at one point he actually threw down the pillow and refused to go, I think my eye started twitching because after one look at my face he quickly picked it back up and walked down the aisle with the Ring bearer LOL


I can't get over their faces LOL I don't think either one really wanted to be up there and it's just hilarious that they have the same expressions.

Anyway, the wedding was just beautiful and here are some pictures for you all, hope you enjoy them.

Nicholas and cousin Laura, isn't this just the sweetest photo?

Jasmine, the flower girl

Ken singing to mom "Welcome to my World" by Jim Reeves.

Curt and Jasmine....LOVE this one!

I just love all the photos and the bride and groom really do look happy and in love don't they?


I also made a little music video with the photos and to the sound of "Welcome to my World" which is what Ken sang to mom...if you want to see that one you will have to download it here.

The time just flew by and before we knew it we were on an airplane heading back home, now that we're here the crunch begins for our move to Arizona. Not that much longer before the movers are here to pick up our stuff.

I wish I had more time to chat tonight but I have kids to put to bed and Curt's uniform to wash, he heads back to work tomorrow, poor guy got sick while on the trip and has the worst cold ever.....sore throat, sneezing, fever etc. I'm just hoping we don't get it too, I seriously can not afford to get sick right now.

Anyway, hope you're all having a wonderful night, now that I'm back I'll be able to post daily again, tomorrow morning I'll be visiting you all so I hope you have some coffee ready for me, I'm sure I've missed a LOT while away for 4 days.

God Bless,

Good Morning from Lawton, Oklahoma!!

I don't have much time but I wanted to check in with everyone and let you know that we made a safe trip, had a great wedding and are now in Lawton, OK. This afternoon we're heading to Oklahoma City to catch a plane back home.

The kids are excited, they have had a blast with all their cousins but now they're both ready to return home....when we got here to Lawton last night, the first thing Nicholas asked his uncle was "do you think your neighbors have video games?" LOL

We miss our girls (the pugs) and we can't wait to get back to normal, whatever that means, at least until we get ready to move here in a few weeks. Time has just flown by here and we've loved every minute, have laughed til our sides hurt, have eaten good food and just enjoyed the few days we had.....

Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers, if you could say another little one that we make it back home safe and sound, I would appreciate it.

I hope you're all having a wonderful day, hope you didn't miss me too much (just kidding) LOL....I'll be back tomorrow with stories and pictures for you all, so you might want to take some time off work just to hang out with me....*snicker*

God Bless,

Leaving on a Jet Plane!!!!

We're heading out this morning to my Mother in Law's wedding in Texas, it's been a crazy week for us and when I get back I will tell you all about our experience last night trying to get mine and Jasmine's dresses. Unbelievable!!!

Anyway, I won't be back until late monday night, hope you all have a great weekend and I'll see you when I get back.

God Bless,