Reconnecting - Part 13.....the end of the trip!

Well after one month in the beautiful South Africa, surrounded by the ones that I most love on this earth, we packed our bags and had to once again say goodbye.

You know you think that you did this 10 years before and it was hard, this time it will be easy....it's NOT, not by a long shot, if anything it was harder for all of us because now there were children involved. Little hands holding tightly and crying into our necks, begging us not to leave...cries of "I love you I'm going to miss you" and watching my grandmother fall apart and sob before me. It broke my heart and it made me more determined than ever to return next year, because time with your family is precious and it flies by, before you know it, another 10 years have past.

It was a hard day for us all, we tried to be strong, we sat around eating (that's what portuguese people do best lol), we tried to get caught up as quickly as we could and then we were at the airport, boarding an airplane headed to Amsterdam.

It was a weird bitter/sweet moment. On the one hand you see the faces of your loved ones and your heart breaks and you want nothing more than to turn around and run into their arms again, then on the other hand, you have your home, your dogs and your own life waiting for you at the end of the trip.

One thing is for sure, today we're all agreeing that in the end we still left so much unsaid, so much undone. A true reminder that time DOES fly when you're having fun.

After saying goodbye to the family we checked in our bags and headed to the gate....the way the photo looks depicts exactly how I felt at the moment.

Amsterdam Airport, that was the KLM flight that brought us from Johannesburg

Anxiously anticipating the flight to St. Paul...it would be another 8 hours and 40 minutes but at least there's movies and individual tv's with video games for the kids etc.

Flight was taking longer than usual....boredom abounds

A view of Schiphol Amsterdam Airport

All settled in and ready for the long flight...

Miss Jasmine getting her tv set up to watch movies

The last few shots are views of Amsterdam from the airplane, it's absolutely gorgeous and I would love to go back and visit some day

Slow Cooking Thursday with a Twist!

As much as we all love slow cooking recipes, I know that some days it's hard to find a good recipe to share, so I thought that today we would have a little twist....you can share a slow cooking recipe OR any other recipe that you've recently come across and love OR a family favorite that you just want to share with others.

Does that sound good???

So here's some that I love and want to share with you all:

Sandra's Egg Rolls

Grandma's Gingersnap cookies

Chicken Tetrazzini
And of course I couldn't leave out a Slow Cooker Recipe....

Crockpot Pizza Rigatoni

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

Summer Days!

A couple of you asked what her name would be if she was a dinosaur.....the t-shirt I made for her says "If I was a dinosaur my name would be........Jasminesaurus (Jas-min-sau-rus) LOL

I had her draw a picture of a dinosaur and I uploaded that graphic to Cafepress and made the t-shirt, it's really cute and Nicholas has one that says "If I was a dinosaur my name would be......Nenesaurus (Nee-Nee-sau-rus) LOL

No time for chatting, we're enjoying the fresh air, the warm weather and the energy exuding from little bodies as they scramble to get in all the fun before school starts in two weeks.

Crepes anyone?

Come on in and sit with me, I have hot coffee and some warm crepes I just finished making. The kids ate most of them but there's still enough to share.

It's a beautiful morning here, not a cloud in the sky, not too hot right now and a small breeze, just perfect.

I don't know about you guys, but doesn't it seem that the blogland is very quiet lately? The comments have tapered off, the posts are sporadic, I think everyone is out enjoying the last few weeks of summer before school starts and fall arrives.

We're gearing up for school to beging here August 11th, the day after my birthday, how is that? Perfectly timed I think. Saturday I have to head to Walmart and get all the school supplies and some clothes for the kids too, yes I know it's Walmart, but I for one like their cheap inexpensive clothing and with two kids in school now, I'm sure my clothes budget for the kids is going way up.

Something else that is going to go up is my sadness LOL Any other moms with little ones starting kindergarten want to come cry with me??? I can cook and bake???? Food is not a problem, we can just eat and cry. *snicker*

Yesterday morning, I reopened by SparkPeople account and I'm determined to loose weight, I was going to do the whole weight watchers but I couldn't bring myself to pay the money for it just for someone to tell me how many points I can eat a day. I don't like that, I don't do good with being told what to do LOL I know you may find that funny, but it's the truth, I prefer allowing myself to eat healthier and watch my calories because the minute I tell my body that it's only allowed so and so points or this or that food, that's IT, it rebels, it goes beserk and I start binging.

So, I'm sticking to Sparkpeople, I've lost weight on it before, I go in and track my food each day, track my calories, increase my water and exercise and it works. We'll see how I do.

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I'm glad you've all been enjoying the South Africa trip posts, it's coming to an end though, I only have a few photos to share with you. Like these, from our trip to Hartbeesport Dam the day before we left.

We drove around for a bit, ate lunch at a great Portuguese Restaurant and then stopped at a local flea market for some african souvenirs.

Great day!

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Well my Pilates is calling my name, OUCH, I tell you I did it yesterday and today I'm in so much pain, there's muscles I had no idea existed LOL

I will leave you with some linkies to some great blogs I've found this past week:

♥Under a Blue Moon

♥Wisecraft

♥Primrose Hill

♥Molly Chicken

Reconnecting - Part 12

We were so sad to leave the Kruger National Park, I mean, this place is like a little peace of paradise on earth. There is nothing but nature and animals around you, there's birds singing in the morning and crickets chirping at night, the huge expanse of the night sky filled with stars and nebula's and the sound of far away animals......and there's quiet, this encompassing non TV and cellphone and craziness, quiet. It's what everyone needs right?? We have far too much noise during our daily lives, so when you find yourself away from it all it's not only relaxing but recharging to the soul.

We made our way back to Johannesburg, back to family, to old neighborhoods and to one of the best parts for me....the FOOD. Oh the glorious food, I don't think I could begin to tell you just how good Portuguese food is, if you've never had it you have no idea what you're missing, but if you're one of the lucky ones to live near a Portuguese community, say for instance in Massachusetts, Newark, New Jersey, San Francisco or even up in Canada....do yourself a favor, go to a Portuguese restaurant or to a bakery and just try it....then come back and tell me what you think.

We arrived back in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon and did nothing for the rest of the day, just hung out at dad's house, chatted with family and ate good food.

I had to take the kids and Curt to the Portuguese bakery Belem. They hadn't tried any cakes yet, so I think we pretty much got one of each LOL

From the left: Pasteis de Nata (cream cakes), Bolas de Berlin (filled donuts), Pasteis de Arroz (Bean cakes)....I know the last ones sound weird, but believe me, they are to die for.

Sunset view from the backyard of my parent's house

If you look to the right, you see the city lights in the distance....that's Johannesburg

Dinner that night was typical Portuguese, Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa.

The next morning we woke up refreshed and ready to go....but not before Curt enjoyed a game of Guitar Hero LOL

Oh and I almost forgot to show you Jasmine's new haircut....how cute is that?

This morning we were heading out to take some photographs of my old houses, schools etc. It was a part of me that my children and husband had never seen and I was eager to show them around. Little did I know that some of those old houses would bring tears to my eyes and not in a good way.

My brother Miguel's house

My brother Paul's house....this is the house that I lived in before getting married and moving to the States. My parents moved to a different house down the street and my oldest brother moved in with his family.

Now let's turn to the left and head down the street. Boy do I remember this street, I walked up and down every single day morning and afternoon when I was in High School, which is just at the end of the road

And here's my old high school, The Hill High School

Now we're traveling up Geranium street towards the middle of Rosettenville. I spent many afternoons here after school with my friends, I also walked up and down this street with my grandmother to go shopping.

Middle of Rosettenville, so much has changed, there's buildings that are gone, there's businesses that have since closed down etc.

If you look to the right, do you see that dark brown building that says Bombay Bazaar? That's where you go and buy the school uniforms. LOL I remember those days, the days of dark green dressed, white button up shirts and BROWN shoes. YUCK!

Yum, Steers, one of my favorite burger places, my friends and I ate lunch here many times

Good old McDonald's LOL

This is going up Main street, to the right you have Spar, it's a big grocery store

Rio Douro Fisheries, the fresh fish market we go to back home

In 1988 we moved to Portugal and within 4 months we had moved back to South Africa, we didn't like living in Portugal, it's a long story and a whole other post LOL

When we returned, we moved into this house, it was my grandparents home and we stayed with them for a bit until we got our own place.....nowadays, it's empty and it looks like there may have been a fire at some point. It was just sad to look at!

The famous 167 Church Street, this was the haunted house, the horribly haunted place that forced me to stay away all night long with the light on, the house where I woke up in the middle of the night with hands around my throat, or the time I lay in bed and looked to the window and saw what appeared to be my greatgrandmother standing there while she actually lay asleep on the bed next to me. Horrible house, but it was a pretty house and I was saddened to see the state it's in now. That metal gate was not there, nor were the HUGE walls.


The other haunted house where my Uncle Carlos got choked in the bathroom. It also looks completely different, it had a beautiful driveway and big open doorway, that wall was NOT there before. Again a shock and a sadness to see it this way.

Continuing with the shock factor we go to 197 Prairie Street...I mean what can I say? It's not even a house anymore, it's a business LOL

My Elementary School, I have the best memories from this place and it pretty much looks the same, except for the big tall green fence. Welcome to Africa people!

Fred Street, there weren't that many bars on the windows when we lived there, but times have changed.

And that was it, we drove back to my parents house with a feeling of sadness. I have to tell you that as much as I loved being back home in South Africa and walking down memory lane, it struck me that 10 years really had gone by....it may not seem like a long time, but it is. So much changes and I'm greatful for the memories that I have of all these houses during my childhood, because the memories I have etched in my heart do not mirror the dilapidated, run down and scary looking buildings that I saw this day.

The Simple Woman Daybook - July 28

Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

If you want to join in, just got visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window...the base landscaping people are mowing and watering the yards, jets flying overhead

I am thinking...that it's official, my little baby is starting kindergarten in two weeks and it's breaking my heart

I am thankful for...the rain we've been getting, being in Arizona it's so hot and any water is welcomed

From the kitchen...Having some cinnamon coffee right now, crepes for breakfast and dinner is Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

I am creating...summer dresses for Jasmine and prim stitchery projects for the house

I am going... to take the kids to the park

I am wearing...khaki shorts, blue and white floral top, blue slippers

I am reading...Fame by Karen Kingsbury

I am hoping...I have enough floss to finish my stitchery

I am hearing... the kids playing the Wii, the jets flying overhead making everything shake in the house, the pugs playing together

Around the house...two baskets of laundry ready to put away, dishwasher to unload, floors to mop today

One of my favorite things...baking bread and eating a slice slathered on with butter while the bread is still hot

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Library program on thursday, grocery shopping on friday

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...horse stables back at our last base at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. I miss that place :)

A Happy Birthday Wish and other chit chat!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALYSSA!

Today is my beautiful little niece's birthday. Alyssa is the baby of the family and she's just this bundle of joy.

Being able to see her and spend time with her in South Africa was one of the best moments of my trip back home. Like all my other nieces and nephews, she's just so precious to me and I love her more than words could ever say.

I'm saddened by the fact that I can't be there with her today, but I am in spirit and thought.

So baby girl, have a wonderful birthday, lots of hugs and kisses from Tia Sandra, Uncle Curtis and your cousins Jasmine and Nicholas.

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I love the sky and I love sky photos and especially at sunrise, there is just something magical about it. We've had the threat of thunderstorms for the past week and every once in a while it will thunder and there will be lightning and then a little rain but it stops just as quick as it started, but what I'm loving about it is the ever changing colors above us.

So what's going on here on my side of the world? Well not much, we're gearing up for the start of school and I'm happy but sad too. It's official, we received Nicholas' letter in the mail yesterda y showing his room # and his teacher's name. My little boy is starting kindergarten and I can't help but want to cry, what is wrong with me?

I remember feeling the same way with Jasmine but at the time I had Nicholas, he was just 1 years old and I was busy with him, this time it's different, I don't have another baby in the house. It's a scary thought because suddenly I'll have 8 hours a day of just me time....and what do I do with that? LOL

I'm not used to not being busy with children, to always have something to do, to constantly pick up toys after them or break up the bickering. I think this is going to be a very interesting start to a new chapter in my life, and just like everything else we do, it's scary but it's exciting.



Friday night I sat up until 1 am, after everyone had gone to sleep, and I watched my Netflix movies. Want to know what it was that kept me up? Robin Hood Season 1. I have to say I'm really enjoying the series, it's just the kind of show I enjoy and even Nicholas got into it, he was amazed at Robin Hood and his bow and arrow LOL

If you want to watch the first episode of the series and see if it's something you would enjoy, click here.

I also finished the book "A Table for Five" by Susan Wiggs. Loved it. It was my first book by this author and I had heard so much about her, so many readers who loved her work so I figured I would pick up the book and see what all the buzz was about. I'm so glad I did, I literally read it in one day.

So as you can see, this weekend I've been able to relax, read, watch movies and I'm also working on the menus for the next two weeks.

Dinner tonight is Old Fashioned Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes and Biscuits. Yum! Btw, if you haven't noticed yet, I've added a few recipes to my sidebar, just click on the photo to take you to the food blog.

And with that I'm out, I have a basket of laundry to wash, dry and iron and beds to be stripped.

Have a great sunday, God Bless,

Reconnecting - Part 11

It's early morning and we're awakened by the beautiful sunrise and the sound of birds outside, after a quick breakfast we got in the cars and set out towards Crocodile Bridge.

We decided to take the longer way which means driving through the dirt roads instead of the main ones, but it's also where you get to be even closer to the wild and tend to see a lot more animals, so it took us about 2 hours but it was worth it.

Giraffe crossing the road right in front of our car

Springbok crossing the road....that's the thing with these dirt side roads, not many cars drive through there so the animals roam freely

A little bit of South African history, the Boer War

I remember back in South Africa, one of the books we had to read for school was Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick. Jock of the Bushveld is a true story about the author's travels with his dog Jock, during the 1880's. You can read more about it here, it's very interesting and even my kids love the story.


At one point in the road there is a little dirt path just big enough to fit your car, you can drive down close to the river and a lot of cars park here and stay for a while to see the animals come for a drink

Going back and seeing all these photos just make me miss the Kruger Park even more, I can not wait to return next year.

Zebras in the middle of the road, they were so funny, they weren't moving, just standing there and kept looking at our car like we were in THEIR way LOL

They finally moved off to the side, but they took their time....I just thought it was the cutest thing

Welcome to Crocodile Bridge!

The kids enjoying an ice cream

Now THESE are awesome, this is the campgrounds and these are the safari tents, tell me those don't make you feel like camping there?

A closer view

We didn't stay at Crocodile Bridge Restcamp for long, just used the bathroom, got some drinks and set off towards Lower Sabie Restcamp for lunch.


I love this place, on the left side you have a store and restaurant and all around it you have tables and chairs overlooking the river.

This is actually the camp we're staying in next year

Hippopotamus in the water, the kids were just besides themselves, they couldn't believe they were watching real live hippos right beneath them

Do you see that big crocodile in the water?

Jasmine, Curt, Dylan, Lilian and Taryn-Lee eating lunch

Nicholas, me looking drunk LOL, dad, my stepmom Nela, Tiffany and Grandma Odete

By the time we were done with lunch we realized that it was 3pm and we were about 2 hours from our camp which would mean we would get there JUST before the gate closes. Problem is that you never know what could be up ahead and chances are you will get stopped by some animal....which happened of course.

Nicholas and Taryn-Lee spent the whole drive hugging each other :)

First it was this guy, he just sat there staring at my brother and sister in law and the kids in the car LOL

Then it was these guys, you have to understand that when a huge herd of elephants is crossing the road the best approach is to be quiet and stay as far back as you can. If there are little ones in the herd, the big females can get pretty ticked off and that's exactly what happened here.

They had just taken a few of the elephants across when the safari truck startled them, they stopped and crossed the road again to the other side....but then you see that blue car to the left, the woman driving it decided to just cut in instead of waiting behind the park ranger....she pulled up right in front of the elephants and just sat there....one of the big ones turned on her and if she hadn't taken off quick, I don't know what would have happened.


While all this was going on across the road, we had the big herd, and when I say big I mean 30 or so elephants divided on both sides of the road and they were moving parallel to our cars. We kept reversing trying to stay away from them, but we were pretty much in the middle of the herd. Scary I tell you!

Just before we got to the camp, we spotted these rhinos

We also got distracted with this....just below in the pic you will notice something big and brown on the ground. That Great Kudu had just been killed by a leopard, but unfortunately there were SO many cars around there that the leopard got scared and took off.


It was a wonderful day, we got to visit two great rest camps and we got to see and encounter some of the best animals in the park.

But that brought our Kruger Park week to an end, we left there early the next morning, happy to have spent some relaxing days but also sad to go. I can NOT wait until next year, I'm already counting the minutes to return home.

If you ever get a chance to visit South Africa, PLEASE PLEASE do yourself and your children a favor and go to the Kruger National Park, I promise it's an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. For about $968 you can get 7 nights at a family bungalow for 4 people. That is NOT bad at all!

I know this post is super long but I couldn't end it without showing you these next photos, they are not easy to see, in fact, they are disturbing and the kids were visibly upset when they first saw these in person at the park, but they also now understand the horrible truths of poaching.

WARNING!!!!! *if you can't handle animals hurt, you may want to skip the last few pics*

Crockpot Beer and Salsa Ribs!

I threw a couple of ingredients in the crockpot and what came out was just too good not to share with you all. If you want to try these wonderful ribs for yourself, click the link below.

CROCKPOT BEER AND SALSA RIBS

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I've also started adding printable recipe cards for all my recipes on the food blog, it will take me a while to get them all up for you, but I'm slowly getting through it.

They'll be available on every recipe post, so keep an eye out for those, there's a few done already for the most recent recipes. Enjoy!

Reconnecting - Part 10

Are you up for more of our trip to the Kruger National Park? We left off the other night after having some smores didn't we?

Well it's early morning the next day and we're off to visit some of the other campgrounds in the park. One of the things I love about the Kruger is that you don't need to go far to see animals, as a matter of fact, chances are that the minute you leave the gate of your camp you will see something.

Just around the corner from the gate we happened upon these baboons, they were moving all over the road and being very protective and at first we didn't know why....

This was the reason why.....see the little one holding on to the back of the mommy? It was a newborn, he was still wet

Not long after we came upon these beautiful elephants...I love elephants but they are one of those animals that you need to respect, especially in an open environment like the Kruger Park, there have been many case where people find out the hard way just how deadly these animals can be

Love this one, I actually have it as my desktop background right now

Can you see those elephants in the distance? They were taking a bath, you can see they are completely wet

This giraffe was thirsty, it was so funny watching her drink water, I actually filmed a little video and will upload it for you

The first camp we arrived at was Skukuza. I have such fond memories of being here when I was a child, it was one of our favorite campgrounds.
The rondavels (houses) we used to stay in, I had to take a photo to show you all
The main store on the camp, it's huge and it has food and souvenirs and all sorts of stuff

Nicholas and Taryn-Lee enjoying the ride while we waited for everyone to get out of the store so we could go eat

There is a restaurant and it's surrounded by these thatched areas with tables and chairs, that's where we had lunch

It was great, only problem is that the roof was covered in bats. Yeah you heard right....BATS! Live ones too, they didn't bother me because I know they're nocturnal LOL But the kids couldn't stop staring at them, I guess they were scared that they would swoop down at some point

Grandma Odete, Tiffany, Taryn-Lee
Jasmine, Tiffany, Taryn-Lee, Curt and my Dad

My Nicholas....watch how all the open cans have napkins folded over them...there were so many bees around there and the kids were terrified

You can also eat at one of these tables which is overlooking the little river

On the way back to our camp, it's very common to have to constantly stop so that a group of animals can get across, and they take their sweet time too LOL
A Zebra just off the road

I love these guys, these are the Great Kudu, I just love the markings on the body and in their ears
One of the hardest animals to spot are the Rhinoceros, but we were lucky enough to see this one close to our campgrounds
Now THAT is a huge herd of elephants

And that concluded that day, we arrived back at Berg-en-Dal camp at about 5:30pm which is cutting it close to the time the gates close. You do NOT want to be stuck out there at night!

Tomorrow I'll take you to Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie Camps....you're going to love them. In the meantime, how about you look at this photo and imagine how amazing it must be to stay there for a week or two.

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.

So I'm going to tell you about something that brings a smile to my face and wonderful warm fuzzy feelings to my heart. This is my bread bag. I know, who uses bread bags nowadays???

But growing up I remember there was always one present in the house and before I left South Africa to move here to the States, I was given this one and I just LOVE it. It's not new, it's an old family one, it has the random fabric yellow stain that you find on old material and you can see that the stitching is very old.

As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly, this bag was used at home in Mozambique, which makes it definitely very old, at LEAST 32 years old.

The word on the front says "Pao" which means Bread in portuguese.

I remember growing up, my greatgrandmother would take the bag and head on out to the bakery, bright and early. She would come home and the smell of warm out of the oven bread just permeated through the house. I remember going to the bag, opening it and just staring at the wonderful portuguese bread that awaited me. The rolls were my favorite, so I would grab one of those for a snack.

Everytime I look at the bag, it reminds me of my wonderful childhood, and who doesn't like having those great memories around huh?

Day at the Park!

The weather has been kinda iffy here lately, one day it's really hot and sunny and the next day it's cooler, dark clouds and huge thunderstorms. The kids are having a hard time being cooped up inside the house for so many hours, so it's off to the park when the opportunity arises.

That's what we did this past weekend, I took them to one of the base parks while Curt was on weekend duty.

Not much going on here today, like I said earlier in my Slow Cooking Thursday post, my computer conked out again, I think my hard drive is old and it's starting to go, so next move will be to buy a new one but until then I'll have to put up with this one pms'ing every once in a while.

We went to the library this morning for the reading program and learned about Pollination from one of the base biologists, I have to say that it was interesting but the poor man made it so boring, I may have almost nodded off to sleep a couple times. I feel awful.

Anyway, I'm off to continue messing with the computer and make sure all my stuff is backed up, I've now lost it twice and it's becoming not only frustrating but very annoying.

Hope you're all having a great day, stay cool wherever you are! My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families in Texas who were hit by Dolly and to those in New Hampshire hit by a deadly storm.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

My computer is still not working right, it crashed again yesterday afternoon and I just now got windows reinstalled, I don't have time to post a recipe as I'm still trying to reinstall all the programs I had on it and get back what I lost.

Mrs Lieutenant - Book Review

Recently I was lucky enough to review a book from Mother Talk. You all know how much I love to read and am constantly talking about books on my blog, so when the opportunity arose to not only read a good book but one that would touch so close to home, I jumped for joy. The book is called "Mrs Lieutenant" and it's written by Phyllis Zimbler Miller.

When I first received the book, I immediately skimmed through it and thought that this was the perfect book for me, it's a book about military wives and who better to relate to it than me, a fellow military wife.

What I didn't realize is that it's about Officer Wives and while I'm not one, the same fears and worries that they have, are the same fears and worries that I have with my soldier husband. Times may be different but it's the same thing.

The book follows the lives of four women, coming together for the first time at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, as their husbands go on active duty as officers in the U.S. Army. These women are completely different, they have different values, they have different ways of thinking and living but they put all that aside to support each other and to help each other deal with the struggles and the roles of being Officer Wives.

I was completely captivated by the writing, it kept me hooked to the last page and it made me smile, nod, shake my head...feel for these women and remember myself as a newlywed military wife and the strangeness of being in a new base.

From the book:

They had their whole lives to look forward to if only their husbands could survive Vietnam. In the spring of 1970 - right after the Kent State National Guard shootings and President Nixon's two-month incursion into Cambodia - four newly married young women come together at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, when their husbands go on active duty as officers in the U.S. Army. Different as these four women are, they have one thing in common: Their overwhelming fear that, right after these nine weeks of training, their husbands could be shipped out to Vietnam - and they could become war widows. Sharon is a Northern Jewish anti-war protester who fell in love with an ROTC cadet; Kim is a Southern Baptist whose husband is intensely jealous; Donna is a Puerto Rican who grew up in an enlisted man's family; and Wendy is a Southern black whose parents have sheltered her from the brutal reality of racism in America. Read MRS. LIEUTENANT to discover what happens as these women overcome their prejudices, reveal their darkest secrets, and are initiated into their new lives as army officers' wives during the turbulent Vietnam War period.

Mrs Zimbler did an outstanding job of portraying life during the Vietnam War, I learned a lot from this book, not just about the era during Vietnam but also the way that people of different backgrounds lived...it was surprising to me at times. I also love the fact that the author writes from experience being a former "Mrs Lieutenant" herself during the 1970's, she even includes a photo of herself and her husband at the beginning of the book. Loved it.

So thank you Mother Talk for a great book, I truly enjoyed it!

Reconnecting - Part 9

I left off yesterday right after lunch, we all were just hanging around, napping and relaxing. After an hour or two we decided to go take a walk on the Rhino Trail, the kids were dying to go so we set off, all of us except grandma, the walking would have been too much for her so she offered to stay behind and get dinner started.

Right across from the camp, on the other side of the river we watched this huge elephant walking around

I hate lizards but these guys were beautiful

This one especially, how stunning are the colors?

Some turtles on a log

The trail had a whole bunch of skulls from different animals

The kids were fascinated by these

The rangers have a wonderful job at the park but they also risk their lives daily and unfortunately some end up loosing those lives doing what they love best

We knew it was time to head back to the house when these guys showed up...every day around 4pm they would just appear out of the trees and take over the whole park. They may seem very friendly and cute but you do NOT want to mess with them.

Let's head to the Berg-En-Dal camp pool....it's actually really nice out there and it was right across the street from our houses.

Miss Jasmine posing as usual

Mr Nicholas...he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. For those that don't know, my kids can't swim, they were supposed to go to swim lessons this summer but by the time we returned from South Africa they were fully booked, now we have to wait until next year....

My niece Tiffany swimming like a fish

My nephew Dylan having a blast in the cold water

My niece Taryn-Lee, we have another poser in the family, her and Jasmine are definitely related LOL

I love this one

Nicholas was fascinated with the droplets of water falling from the rock

All tired out and hungry, time to head back to the house for a BBQ and some smores. You know back in South Africa they don't know what Smores are, so we introduced them to it and they loved it.

The night ended with sleeping kids and the adults sitting outside in the darkness, with the moonlight and the stars keeping us company. The sky was absolutely gorgeous, you could an infinite number of stars and nebulas. We sipped on Amarula and caught up on the last 10 years of our lives, we laughed and joked and had a wonderful time.....then we headed to bed because the next morning we were jumping in the cars and going to Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie Camps for a visit.

Reconnecting - Part 8

I know, I know, it's been a while but so many things were going on that I had to take a break from the South Africa trip photos. But I think it's time we get back to business and besides, when last we spoke we were just about to embark on a 5:30 am morning safari right?

So go ahead and grab a big cup of coffee and get comfy, it's going to take a while and I'm sure you don't want to miss out on all the great photos coming your way.



Our second day at the Kruger National Park started early in the morning, everyone kinda dragged themselves out of bed, there was sleepy eyes and a little crankiness but for the most part we all looked forward to one of the best things about being there......getting up right as the Camp Gate opens and driving out to see what we could find.

Gorgeous African Sunrise

One of the first animals we saw was this Warthog, just going about his business.

Wild chickens, they're everywhere and they're pretty hard to spot cause they blend in with the scenery so well don't they?

Now THESE are one of the hardest animals to see at the Kruger Park, the Wild Dogs. We were lucky to see not just this one, but another 3, they seemed to be circling a few Springbok in the distance

I am just glad that I'm not going to be around whatever is going to come out of that HUGE spider web. That's just........eeeeeeeeewwwwww

These guys are everywhere, I was actually sick of seeing them after the second day LOL

The beautiful Kruger National Park

If you love Giraffes like I do, then you would be in heaven, they are so graceful and we spotted quite a few.

We didn't see much that first morning, but it was still amazing getting out there that early and enjoying the wild life. By the time we got back to the houses, we were all starved and it was time for breakfast, which Curt offered to make for everyone. He makes the BEST crispy bacon!

My sister in law Lilian helped with the breakfast too

I don't know what the heck I was doing LOL

Yep, just give me a cup of coffee and I'm happy

What do you do if you're sitting at a table in the direct sunlight and you can't find a hat nearby???? Well, use a napkin on your head of course LOL That's my dad's ingenious idea LOL

And because he wanted to pitch in too he even washed the dishes and that's a big *GASP GASP* I have never in my life seen my dad wash so much as a spoon LOL

My wonderful hubby enjoying his breakfast in the fresh air with the sound of the wild animals in the distance. I tell you there is something very majestic about this place, if I could, I would live there.

Tita (my stepmom) and the kids. Let me just tell you that I love this woman to death, she stepped in to take care of me and my 2 brothers after my dad's divorced and she's always been a mother to us. I don't think of her as a stepmother, I think of her as a mother. She's done so much for us and I'm truly blessed to have her in my life. So Nela...if you're reading this, just know that I love you :)

My dad and the grandkids...I love this photo.

We headed to the store on camp and bought the ingredients for lunch which was made by dad...chicken curry. Boy was it good. I love my dad, he is always goofing off with everyone.

After lunch, we all hung around inside, just relaxing and chatting. We did take the kids to the camp pool a few hours later (you'll have to wait for those pics lol)

My grandma just relaxing :)

And that was it for day two at the Kruger National Park. It really is a place for you to go and get away, to be free of tv's and cellphones and all the craziness of everyday life.

We took the kids to the Camp pool later in the day and then the next morning we got in the car and headed to Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie Campgrounds....loved both. I'll share those photos tomorrow :)

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Reconnecting #2
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Reconnecting #7

The Simple Woman Daybook - July 21

Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

If you want to join in, just got visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window...scattered clouds from the thunderstorms we've had the past two days, my backyard lawn needing to be mowed and the pugs laying out on the patio enjoying the cooler temps.

I am thinking...that I hope I''m able to reinstall Windows, my computer gave me the "Blue Screen of Death" last night and it's broken. I've lost all my stuff and it's frustrating.

I am thankful for...having 2 more computers in the house and being able to get all my work done

From the kitchen...tonight is Salisbury Steak with noodles and some portuguese rice pudding for dessert

I am creating...absolutely nothing today, just working on fixing the computer

I am going... nowhere today, I have way too much laundry to iron

I am wearing...summer pj's, pink shorts and tank top

I am reading...Fame by Karen Kingsbury

I am hoping...I can save all the date on my hard drive, it's amazing how much of your life you have on those little machines and when they're gone you feel lost

I am hearing... the kids video game on the tv, the coffee machine brewing and the birds outside

Around the house...library books needing to be returned, floors needing to be mopped

One of my favorite things...taking the kids to the park and watching them

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Library program on thursday, starting my exercise program again, I need to loose the last 10 lbs and they're not budging

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...since I'm on hubby's computer, I don't have any of my photos available to post, but here's one from my post on saturday, I took the kids to the base aircraft static display, they had a blast and it was an inexpensive way of having fun

I apologize to my plants!

I'm just gonna throw it out there already, because I think they deserve the apology ahead of time. After this post, I don't know why on earth I would go and buy plants/flowers...see how ignorant I am when it comes to these things?

Maybe that's one of the reasons they die on me, I probably call them by the wrong name and I guess there's only so much an innocent plant/flower can take.

While out yesterday I went by the BX and saw that they had a huge table right at the entrance, it was overloaded with all sorts of plants/flowers (I'm embarrassing myself at this point, I know) on sale. I couldn't help myself, I think it's the nurturing spirit in me wanting to reach out....so I'm hoping and praying I do it right this time and keep these babies alive.

Without further ado, the newest members of the family:

Bamboo...Ok, I admit, I can actually keep bamboo alive, as a matter of fact I brought with me the ones from Idaho and they're still alive and thriving.

Medicinal Aloe, I figure if nothing else, I can use it for burns and to relieve itching from bug bites etc.

Anthuriums....what can I say, I love them, they're beautiful. Let's just hope I keep it alive.

Euphorbia

and some more Euphorbia

I'm giggling because Curt asked me if I was going to remove the name tags and I looked at him like he grew a second head. "Are you kidding me? I need all the help I can get and even so, I will probably botch it up somehow".

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I just mailed off my 3 Netflix movies and I truly enjoyed every single one, two of them I just absolutely loved.

The Nanny Diaries - It was a cute movie, definitely a chick flick.
The Inheritance - *sigh* What can I say other than it's a Louisa May Alcott movie? It's romantic and it's my kind of movie.
Under the Greenwood Tree - Another great movie, loved it.



What's next on the list? The Robin Hood Series.

Alright, I'm out, I'm taking the kids to the park, they're hyper and antsy because we've had thunderstorms for the past 2 days, which means being stuck in the house, which means being bored, which means they've watched all the tv and movies they could handle, which means they are now starting to bicker, which means it's making my eye twitch, which means it's time to hit the road........you get what I'm saying right???? LOL

Have a great day, I'll be back tomorrow, or later with pictures.

Inexpensive Fun!

Welcome to Fighter Country

I'm all for the kind of fun that drains your body but not your wallet. Let's face, nowadays it's very hard to find that isn't it? Even if you happen upon a great place to visit, chances are you're driving there and just the gas alone will kill you.

But I found that if I just look around the area I live, there's tons of things to do within walking distance....and for free. Yes I know, the heat is a killer but today we found ourselves in an uncommonly cloudy, breezy and not hot day. Saying that as I type this in Arizona is bound to raise some eyebrows, maybe ya'll think I lost my mind or I'm pulling your leg. No, really, I'm being truthful.

Curt had weekend duty, if you're military you know all about those, the guys get stuck going in to work on saturday and sunday at least once a month. If they're lucky and it's just something simple, they get to be home after lunch, but there's been those weekends when a Jet was broken and had to fly the next week and they ended up at work saturday and sunday for 12 to 13 hours.

And I realize I just completely went off subject LOL Anyway, let's backtrack...so Curt is on weekend duty today, he was home after lunch but he is still on standby and has to stay near a phone. So I grabbed the kids and went across the base, to the Aircraft Park, it's one of those places that the kids just love going and I for one enjoy looking at the aircraft up close and personal.

They never tire of touching Palm Trees, it's like their favorite thing to do

North American AT-6 'Texan'

Republic F-84F 'Thunderstreak' SN: 52-6782

North American F-100C 'Super Sabre'

McDonnell-Douglas F-15B 'Eagle' SN: 73-0108

Medal of Honor Memorial for World War I and World War II

Medal of Honor Memorial for Korean War and Vietnam War

Base Chapel is just across the street from the Aircraft Park

Lockheed T-33A 'Shooting Star'

Deep in concentration as they read the dedication on this rock

So next time your kids tell you that they're bored and you want to do something cheap inexpensive, look no further than the area surrounding you, chances are there's something in the neighborhood or base that you can enjoy with the kids, all you need is a willing heart and a camera in your hand. Go for it, I dare you to find something fun close by.

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A year ago today: Slow Cooking Thursday (Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken)
Two years ago today: Change Yet Again

How does your garden grow???

I've always said that I don't have a green thumb, it's more like a "thumb of death" because any flower or plant that I come in contact with, ends up dead. It's a sad thing, especially for a girl who would LOVE to have a garden with beautiful flowers or herbs. So when my beautiful lemon tree started falling apart, literally, I was and am really sad, but for once I realized it wasn't my fault....I had NOTHING to do with that and that's a great feeling LOL

But you know that the Lord is wonderful and just when you think that something is completely destroyed, He comes along and shows you that there's always new beginnings. Kinda like when you're going through a really tough patch in your life and you're thinking that everything is over and there's no way that you could get past it and then you realizing that there's a silver lining, an open door you completely missed.

When I walked out into the backyard yesterday and saw that yet another branch of the tree had come down on it's own, at first I was heartbroken, here was this amazing tree just falling apart, but as I started walking around it to try and understand why it was happening, my eye caught glimpses of new beginnings. It was like the Lord was showing me that "Hey, see this awful branch torn off? But look at what is around it"

So I'm showing you, who knows, maybe it will mean nothing to some of you, maybe it will give you hope if you're going through a hard time, or maybe just maybe it will make you look at sad times as new beginnings. If nothing else, it will show you beautiful nature at work.

Talk about amazing, those little green shots growing out of nowhere

This is the branch from the first part of the tree that fell off, you can see how it snapped right off there. But look at the green shoots coming up around the ugly break.

Second branch that broke off surrounded by green shoots. Let me tell you, they smell heavenly, if you've never smelled a lemon tree plant/flower, you don't know what you're missing.

Nicholas had a good time stepping between the broken branch and trying to figure out how it came down

Then because you can never have one sibling do something without the other getting to do it too, it was Jasmine's turn to go exploring.

HEY, let go of that lemon, don't you dare pull it off the tree.....Caught in the act!

Look how tiny those little buds are? I'm in awe!

Miss Bella and Miss Lola sat the door and watched us, not quite sure what we were doing to the tree.

So how does YOUR garden grow??? And just how do you ladies keep such beautiful plants alive? I've seen your blogs, I've seen your photos and I can't believe that I am the only "thumb of death" out there. What's the easiest plant to keep alive? Give me advice, please, anything, I just want to grow a garden! *stomps foot*

Lemon Bread Pudding!

The Slow Cooking Thursday post is just below this one....

I love lemon and I love bread pudding and I needed a dessert that would be super fast to make and easy too. Enter the Lemon Bread Pudding. Have you noticed I'm on a citrusy kick lately?
First it was the Orange Cake and now it's the Lemon Bread pudding.

Anyway, if you have a french loaf sitting around and some pantry ingredients, you can have this yumminess for dessert in just a little under an hour.

I've posted the recipe on my food blog, just click on the name of the recipe under the pic and it will take you there.

LEMON BREAD PUDDING

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

Last week I tried the 1-2-3-4 Chili, it was really good, until I decided to eat it at 11pm...then it was REALLY bad, in a my stomach is killing me and I feel like I have to vomit, kinda way LOL

I've noticed that I'm not getting many participants anymore, I'm not sure if it's because it's summertime and everyone is away or what...but if I continue to get only a few, I may just stop the Slow Cooking Feature altogether...we'll see in a few weeks how it's going.

Here's today's recipe:

Slow Cooked Steak Rolls

1 1/2 lbs. beef round steak, 1 /4-inch thick salt and pepper
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
2 tbsp. flour oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4-oz.)
1/4 cup catsup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Trim fat and pound steak till very thin. Cut into 8 equal rectangular pieces. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Combine the onion, parsley and basil. Divide between the meat pieces and place in the middle of each piece.

Roll up and tuck edges in around stuffing. Tie or secure with toothpicks. Coat meat rolls with flour and brown in hot oil in skillet. Drain and place in crockery cooker. Combine the soup, catsup and Worcestershire sauce; pour over meat.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for about 8 hours or until meat is done. Remove toothpicks and enjoy with the sauce.

Serves 8

Wordless Wednesday with a Twist: Summertime

It's WWWAT time again! And the theme for this week is "Summertime."

I LOVE summer, but summer time in Arizona can be quite awful, you literally feel out of breath just walking out the front door. But in between all the crazy heat, there's the amazing thunderstorms, the kind that you look to the left and the sky is blue and then you turn to the right and it's a dark purple.

It's great for us, we're at home, not so great for Curt who works out on the flight line with the jets. LOL

Beautiful, just beautiful!

Wagon Rides just before the sun starts setting...it's the best time of the day because if you try to go anytime between 9am and 5pm...you're done LOL

Fun at the park

Good times at the Base Carnival

Nights spent outside in the back yard. I love this one, the expression on Nicholas' face is priceless

Of course the obligatory sprinklers and water slides are out

Happy Summertime!

To see more WWWAT, go visit Rachel at The Adventures of an American Mum

The Joys of Parenting!

There's no doubt about a house with kids when everywhere you look, there's visual reminders. I look at these and I smile, it's like my children leave a little reminder of themselves everywhere I go and what's better than that?




I also got an award from Christina, she's such a sweet lady and I've blogged with her for so many years, so it was great getting this Arte y Pico (meaning “Peak of Art”) award. :) Thank you Chris!

I've been asked to pass this on 5 blogs that bless me. Oh boy, I can't just pick 5, there's no way because each and every one of my readers bless me in one way or another, I've learned so much from you all and when I'm down all I have to do is take a peek at your blogs and I'm instantly uplifted. So here you go...all of you that comment regularly, you know who you are :)

The Simple Woman's Daybook - July 14th

Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

If you want to join in, just got visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window...cloudy, dreary skies which is just wonderful here in Arizona. We've been getting rain for the past 3 days and it feels great.

I am thinking...that I will never again eat a bowl of chili at 11pm, I still feel sick to my stomach

I am thankful for...payday tomorrow, I hate the almost bare cupboards thing, which only seems to happen in the summer when the kids are out of school. Seriously, do they need to eat that much? LOL

From the kitchen...the best Orange Cake ever!

I am creating...prim stitchery projects to hang on the wall.

I am going...to take it easy today and hope my stomach starts feeling better.

I am wearing...khaki capris and a orange tank top

I am reading...Springwater Wedding by Linda Lael Miller

I am hoping...to get all the laundry ironed and put away, this morning.

I am hearing...the kids playing in the living room, they're slamming things with a plastic hammer and singing "george of the jungle" *teehee*

Around the house...sleeping pugs, unmade beds, hyper kids...just the usual first thing in the morning sight

One of my favorite things...taking a drive through the countryside

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Grocery shopping in the morning and thursday we have the Library Reading Program, last week the kids got to enjoy some animals from the Wildlife World Zoo and this week there's a book reading by a local author and a craft.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...sunset in Arizona, they are just breathtaking!

Ummm apparently eating Chili at 11pm is a big NO NO!

Go ahead and laugh right now or scoff or whatever you want to do, but the truth is that last night, around 11pm I decided that I was starving and then decided that after raiding the fridge, the leftover Chili looked might inviting. This is when I wish I could backtrack, go back in time and slap myself silly.....let me just say that the next time you have a craving like this at THAT time of the night, the best thing is to walk away.

So I heated up a small bowl and scarfed it down, another big NO NO. If the heaviness of the chili doesn't get you the inhaling of it will. Within 10 minutes of finishing the darn chili I felt like I had a lead ball in my stomach and then the creeping nausea kicked in. *sigh*

Needless to say, I spent all night tossing and turning, with a stomach ache and a need to throw up that never materialized, still hasn't....and I still have the tummy ache and the lead ball continues bouncing in me. Lesson learned, never eat chili that late at night....or maybe never eat chili for leftovers? You know how your mind works? Something doesn't quite agree with you and then suddenly you're questioning everything, and thinking twice about ever eating that meal again. Which is a horrible thought because I'm a Chili Lover, but after this incident I'm more of a liker....



Anyway, just before this happened I had laid in bed watching a movie from Netflix "The Nanny Diaries". It was really cute, another one of those girly flicks. Girl doesn't know what to do with her life, and in a twist of events becomes a Nanny, then falls in love with handsome boy in the building....but there's a very cute little boy in the picture too and a crazy rich family.

I'm also almost done with my book "Springwater Wedding" by Linda Lael Miller. Want to hear something funny? I picked it up from the library and halfway through it I walked by my TBR bookshelf and found that I already HAD a copy of my own *snicker* I'm an idiot, what can I say!

So you may be wondering what I'll be up to today seeing that I'm not feeling that hot, the answer is "not much actually", but what better way to show you than in pictures right?

Starting with last night's sunset, just gorgeous!




The laundry just pulled out of the dryer and waiting to be ironed....guess it will continue waiting cause I really don't have the patience for it today.


Watering the yards....see that patch of yellow grass, it's driving me bonkers, I need it green like yesterday.


Still trying to figure out what to do with my poor lemon tree, I've found some leaves on there that are chewed through...something is killing my tree and I'm very frustrated.


My poor baby lemons are hanging on, trying to be strong and grow while the branches fall apart around them.

Kinda reminds me of our lives at times, everything seems to be coming down around us but we're determined to stay strong and push through.


I have some clothes in the washer that will be hanging right here just as soon as they're done....my clothesline and I have a wonderful relationship. I adore her LOL


These two vehicles are begging to be washed, mainly mine, the Durango in the front, it's so dirty, but I'm sorry, it will have to wait as well, I'm not getting out in the oven outside and especially feeling nauseous already.


The recycle bin and the trash can need to be brought back into the driveway, but for now they adorn my corner of the front yard. It's sad I know, but what can I say...I can't bring them in when the cars are parked, they just don't fit and I'm too lazy to be moving vehicles right now.

Boy I'm just a bundle of laziness today aren't I? The family better hope I fix them dinner *snicker*


So there you have it, a little look at what's around me. I'm off to muster up some courage to fix lunch, whatever that may be because I haven't figured out yet what to fix. Dinner will be Chicken in a Cream Sauce, it's a portuguese recipe that I haven't made in a LONG time. I'll have the recipe for you all tomorrow.

Have a wonderful restful Sunday and I'll see you all tomorrow bright and early with my Menu Plan in one hand and my Simple Woman Daybook in the other....and hopefully a happy stomach.

So Are You To Me!

Have you heard this song before???? It's one of my all time favorites, I love Eastmountainsouth and I can't listen to this song without getting teary eyed. It's that beautiful!

I heard them again last night as I lay in bed watching Lucky 7 on Lifetime, another great girl flick that you would enjoy. What can I say, I like romantic mushy movies and this one was right up my alley.

But going back to the song, if you listen to the lyrics it makes you stop and think.

As the music at the banquet
As the wine before the meal
As the firelight in the night
So are you to me

As the ruby in the setting
As the fruit upon the tree
As the wind blows over the plains
So are you to me

As the wind blows over the plains
So are you to me
So are you to me

So I started thinking about my life and who and what represents this song. Apart from my husband and children, it applies to my family, my parents, my siblings and sisters in law and grandparents and my nieces and nephews. They all are the most important things in my life, the reason I keep going, the reason I keep putting one foot in front of the other even through rough times.....and it struck me that we don't really spend much time letting them know.

We all would like to think that we're important to someone out there, that we make their lives a happier place and that without us around the world is darker, bleaker, not as exciting. I have to remind myself that if I want to know that I'm loved, I need to reciprocate.

So that's what I'm doing this morning, I'm letting all the important people in my life know that I love them more than I could ever say and that I couldn't imagine my life without them. You guys make me the woman I am today and I'm blessed to be a part of this family.

Here's where you guys come in, I want you to take this song and listen to it and then let your loved ones know what they mean to you, even just a simple hug or an I love you is enough to brighten someone's day. Go on, do it, you will make them extremely happy and you will feel better about yourself too.


It's one of those days that I'm feeling lazy and even though I know that I'll have to fix meals and watch the children etc. I think I'll let the bigger stuff go and deal with it tomorrow. You know, like the laundry and the sweeping and all that, it's not like it will disappear (as much as I wish it did at times LOL).

I'm feeling a little offish, seems I have a cold looming over me and waiting to attack. The sore throat is here and so is the headache which makes it the perfect time to use that as an excuse to be lazy, right?

I know I keep jumping from subject to subject, I've oftentimes told everyone here that if they're looking for posts that are deep and thought provoking, they're in the wrong place, I can't just talk about one thing, I guess I write like I speak? LOL

That's why I'm jumping to something now that I absolutely positively love.....Old Photographs. When I was back home in South Africa last month, I got to sit on my grandmother's bed one night and we went through tons and tons of old black and white photos, they belonged to my greatgrandmother Ema and now they're just sitting around because no one knows what to do with them. I will gladly take them off their hands, problem is that they're so many and it will make bringing them back to the States, a little hard.

But I did get a few while there and I thought I would share them with you all, I know there have to be more old photograph lovers like me out there.


My wonderful greatgrandma Ema...this woman was a pillar of strength in the family, she was the matriarch, the go to when you had a problem, the one to tell you to your face when you did something wrong. She was loving and funny and an amazing cook...I learnt so much from her and it's been 9 years since she died, but I miss her dearly and there is not a day that goes by when I don't think of her.


My grandma Odete. What can I say that hasn't been said already? Amazing woman that I love to death, she was through me during so many pivotal times in my life, always there to listen, always there to comfort me and push me to be the strong woman that I am today. She means the world to me.


My grandfather Julio. Wow, do I have wonderful memories of him, he was never the strict grandpa with us, he joked, he laughed, he played and was just this bright light in our lives. I remember when he got sick, it was like getting punched in the stomach, this brilliantly funny man was a mere shadow of his former self.

I also vividly remember the day he passed away, because I was there, I watched him die. I sat quietly crying at his side, telling him I loved him and begging him not to leave us...and as I spoke one lonely tear slowly descended from his left eye. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay because he loved us just as much as we loved him. I will NEVER forget that day, that image was ingrained in my memory forever.


My wonderful daddy, Dario. Look how young he was in this picture? It's so weird because I look at it and I see my oldest brother Paul, they look SO much alike.


This one I have a hard time with. This is a photo of my dear Uncle Carlos, the one that passed away last year on my birthday. All you have to do is read that post and this one to know how much I loved him and what he meant to us as a whole family.

But what gets me about this photograph is just how much Nicholas looks like him, from the chubby cheeks to the eyes and the mouth and the nose, just everything, it's uncanny. Nicholas even has his hands, to the point where we were staring at them back in Africa and my grandmother Odete (my uncle's mom) got really emotional.


These photographs show some of the most influential people in my life, the ones that have a special place in my heart, and as the song says "So Are You To Me"....yes, they ARE that important.

And it rained, and it poured.........

There's something majestic about the sky this morning. It may be the remnants of last night's thunderstorm clouds, or maybe the way the sun is struggling to peek through which causes that amazing ray of light. I don't know but looking at the sky makes me smile.
That up there is a photo of the sky as I see it from my kitchen window.

We're in the middle of Monsoon Season here in Arizona, which I guess is my favorite. I'm a rain kinda gal, I love the smell of it, I love the sound of it and I love using it as an excuse to sit around the house relaxing, maybe sitting on the couch with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn while watching some soppy girl flick.

So yesterday around 5pm the skies started turning this dark purple color and within 30 minutes we were getting Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Now it's happened before where we get the warnings but not the rain, this time was different though because we not only got rain but such strong winds that they knocked over my huge recycle bin.


You all know how much I love sky photos and it's been a long time since I've shared them with you, so I'm glad I'm getting back into that habit again, if there's one thing that the Arizona skies can provide, is a beautiful array of colors.

I have a few things going on this morning, starting with stripping the beds of all linens and washing everything, if there is no more rain I may be able to hang them out to dry outside, otherwise it's into the dryer they go.


Then I have to bake some bread, I'm going to use Kelli's recipe for the Amish White Bread, it's the one I always use and I prefer to stick to what I know.

In the meantime I need to get my dinner going, I'm making 1-2-3-4 Chili in the Slow Cooker, I think it's the perfect day for it. I'll make some cornbread to go with it later and for dessert we still have that wonderful Orange Cake. While you're there you may want to check out the new recipe I posted for Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta, it was a huge hit with the family.


The kids have been begging to play outside this week, but I haven't allowed them and not because I'm mean, no, it's just that last weekend they were in the pool and both ended up getting burned. I don't know what they did with the sunscreen but apparently it wasn't on their body. They have sensitive skin and they burn easily. So I kept them in this week but they're fine now and I had said they could go play for a bit but then the rain kicked in. Poor kids.

We'll probably end up doing some sort of craft, or watching a movie or reading or something, not sure yet.

I want to set aside some time as well so I can finish this project, it's a prim stitchery that I want to hang in my bedroom. The finished project will say:

Curtis ♥ Sandra
Two lives, Two hearts
Joined together by love
United in Marriage
August 12th, 1998

Problem is I ran out of the color I was using for the text, so I'm considering leaving the Curtis and Sandra as is and doing the date at the bottom the same color, removing the Two Lives, Two Hearts part and redoing it and the rest of the text in a different color? What to do, what to do?

I'll figure it out eventually, but for now I do need to start my day. Help yourselves to some Orange Cake and there's some hot coffee in the kitchen too, please stay as long as you like.

Library Summer Reading Program!

One of the best things that could have happened to me was to walk into the library 3 weeks ago, without even realizing that I was stepping into the last few minutes of the kick off to the Summer Reading Program. Right then and there I signed up Jasmine and Nicholas and we embarked on this book reading journey....little did I know that it would become one of their favorite things and that Thursdays were now the most anticipated day of the week.

The first week they had a Worm Farm come around, the kids got to hold the worms and learn about them, they loved it.....unfortunately like I said, we had come in right at the end so mine didn't get to participate but they still caught a glimpse of the huge, gross adorable worms.

Last week as I mentioned in an earlier post, we had a local school teacher who is also an author, come in and talk about her book and read a little to the kids, then at the end they made a craft. Again, a success with the kids!

But today was more than the kids could have wished for. They knew that it would be fun again but they had NO idea that the Wildlife World Zoo would be at the library with a few critters for them to see. I knew this but kept it from them, all I said was that it was going to be awesome and they would love it.....you should have seen their faces when they realized what was happening.

Before I show you the photos I took this morning, I have to tell you that for me the most rewarding part of this Reading Program, is the fact that I now get to witness my children enjoying books, not just reading them because I ask them to or tell them that it's good for them, they read them because they WANT to. That's something!
So if anything, I highly recommend the library reading programs, I'm sure there's one at your local library and if there is, sign up the kids, I promise you will have just as much fun as they do.

Eagerly awaiting the first critter....

Our friendly Zoo Keeper Josh started by pulling out two yucky cute Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. I'm sorry, I'm all for animals but if there's one thing that makes my skin crawl, it's BUGS. Ewwwwwwww

And I really don't want to hear about how they hiss through all these tiny holes in their body, or how some people eat them because they're so nutritious. Quite frankly, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. GROSS!

I wasn't grossed out enough so he brings out a Corn Snake. YIPPEE! (not)

I thought only bugs made my skin crawl but the whole time he was holding that snake, I got shivers up and down my spine, especially when he says "take a look at her tongue, it keeps shooting out, you see that?"

YES Josh, I see it, I don't want to see it but I do...thanks for pointing it out. LOL

Of course the kids were happy with the snake. What is it with kids and nasty creepy crawlers?


NOW was the part I enjoyed. Josh the Zoo Keeper reached into this little cage and brought out Sniffles..... the cutest, tiniest little hedgehog.




Then out came the starfish which is not even on display at the zoo yet, as a matter of fact it was the first time it had been out of the zoo. This starfish along with a ton of other sea creatures are going to be at display when the new Aquarium opens up at the Wildlife World Zoo, sometime this winter.

See that little dot in the middle??? I put an arrow on there for you so you can find it easily...that's it's mouth. Who knew?


The last animal was Faith, the Macaw. She was just stunning!


Did you know that their beaks are so powerful they can crush the bones in your fingers? Did you also know that they act like two year olds and never grow out of it? They throw tantrums when they don't get things their way? LOL


Faith also left a poopy surprise on the library carpet....much to the kids delight and the embarassment of Josh the keeper dude. The one that likes to taunt moms with nasty bugs and snake tongues. Just saying!

Actually he was very friendly and very sweet to the kids and he taught them a LOT.


Time to say goodbye to Faith, she was back safe in her cage but I didn't like the way she was eying Jasmine's little fingers.....me thinks she wanted to nibble LOL


She really liked Jasmine, I'm wondering if it was the red hair, the macaw must have wondered if she was related since she had beautiful red feathers LOL


Josh the Keeper said goodbye to everyone, answered a few questions and then handed out some brochures and free passes for the kids. They're good forever....that's right FOREVER!
So now we have 6 free passes for the kids, 3 each and only Curt and I pay, it's only $16.99. Good deal I think!

We also picked up some books on the way out, for me I got:

Where Yesterday Lives by Karen Kingsbury
Fame by Karen Kingsbury (this is the first book in the Firstborn series, I have the rest on hold for me)
Table for Five by Susan Wiggs

The kids got:

1. Lara's Hats
2. Spiders
3. Insects
4. Spotted Beetles
5. I love you so much
6. Rhyme Time Valentine
7. Creepy Crawly Catterpillars
8. Where on Earth is my Bagel?
9. Newt
10. Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea
11. What Mommies do Best

And that was our morning, I made a quick stop at the post office to mail off Courtney's magnet and a package for Jasmine's best friend back in Idaho and now we're home.

My house is clean, I just have to put away the clean dishes in the dishwasher and then I'm off to start on my prim stitchery project. It's for my bedroom and I got the idea from Leslie over at My Country Home. I'll let you all see once I've started...who knows, I may be finished by tonight LOL

BTW if you're looking for the Slow Cooking Thursday post, it's just below this one.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

Pizza Rigatoni Crock Pot Recipe

1 1/2 lbs bulk pork sausage
3 cups rigatoni, cooked about half way to al dente
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 small onion, sliced
15 oz can or jar pizza sauce
8 oz can or jar pizza sauce
3-4 oz package pepperoni, sliced
6 oz can sliced olives

Fry sausage in frypan and drain. Place halt the sausage amount in slow cooker. Then layer as follows using half the ingredients: pasta, cheese, soup, onions, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and olives. Repeat. Cook on low 4 hours.

Mmmmmm Orange Cake!

You know in the time it takes you to read this post and go check out the recipe, you could have had this cake baking in the oven and you could be literally drooling at the scent of orange that fills your home.

I promised you the recipe earlier and I figured that since I'm having a slice of this yumminess (yes I know it's not a word lol) right now, I should do the friendly thing and give you the recipe, in case one of you gets the citrusy yearning going on and decides to make one tonight too.

I bet you have all the ingredients at hand and it's super simple and super quick to make. I wouldn't steer you wrong would I?

ORANGE CAKE

Cooking, Cleaning and Cakes!

Good Morning everyone, you know I realized that I hadn't done a sky photo in a long time, so here you go, a glimpse of our sunrise!

I would love to tell you all that I got a great night's sleep, but I didn't. Nicholas is having some sleep issues since we went to South Africa and it's affecting us all, especially me. I'm just hoping that when he starts Kindergarten next month, that maybe, just maybe, being tired and all he'll start sleeping not only in his own room BUT by himself without crying out for me every 2 hours. It's like having a baby in the house but without the diapers, the bottles and that yummy just bathed baby smell.

Any advice ladies? Throw it my way, at this point I could use anything just to ensure an uninterrupted night's sleep.

But moving on, I've posted two recipes over at the Food Blog. My Roast Fish and Potatoes and the Vegetable Lasagna, if it's something you're interested in, go on over and take a peek. I'll even give you pictures to tempt you, I'm a visual person and seeing something usually dictates whether I'm interested or not. Don't laugh, it's true, I do it with food, I do it with book covers and perfumes and all sorts of things...it's a sickness I tell ya.



I have a few things that I need to get to today, like putting away the 2 baskets of laundry that I ironed yesterday AND the other basket that is coming after I iron it today. What's with laundry anyway? No matter how much you think you're caught up and on top of it, it's always growing, it has a mind of it's own doesn't it?

Once I'm done with that laundry I have Today's Small Thing to do, it's all about spots, so I'm going to grab my Green Works bottle and head to the bathrooms where those little mirror spots seem to appear daily...I blame the kids, I always catch them in there playing with the water. Jasmine is usually giving her dolls a bath or Nicholas is dunking his army soldiers saying that it's the ocean and they have to make it from one side of the sink to the other. Poor things....must be hard swimming with feet that are stuck together. *snort*

If you're looking for some good reads this morning, I suggest one of your stops is over at Sheila. She's doing her Wifey Wednesday post and she's talking about How Women See It....and this quote had me literally laughing out loud.

My friend Paul Henderson, who scored the famous 1972 goal in the Canada/U.S.S.R. hockey series, uses this analogy when he speaks at marriage conferences. He can be in the living room having a rip roaring fight with his wife, but then she'll walk into the bedroom, and his hands will start to wander. All over her. And she gets mad. "What are you doing?!" She'll yell. "We're fighting!". And he'll say, "We were in the fighting room. Now we're in the sex room. So I thought you had moved on!".

LOL How true is that? No really, you have to go read her entry today, it's that good.

BTW, I haven't forgotten about the South Africa Trip photos, I have so many more to share and I just haven't had the time to sit down and compose the entries. But here's a preview of what's to come tomorrow:

Setting out at 5:30am and being greeted with this stunning sunrise and nothing but wilderness around you

Beautiful giraffe, they're so graceful

I have to set up my webcam today so that I can chat with my family back in South Africa, I know I know, I've been horrible about it but I honestly haven't had a chance for much around here. So Bruno, I haven't forgotten and I promise I will get it up if not today by tomorrow definitely. Love you *bats eyelashes for better effect* LOL

Well it's time to get off the computer and start the day. I need to get the steaks out for dinner, I'm making portuguese steak with fries and egg and a salad. For dessert I'm making an Orange Cake, one of my favorites. (I'll share the recipe later today)

Taking it one hour at a time!

I'm exhausted, to put it mildly. You ever have those nights where you go to bed and you're drained but you lay there and you toss and turn and you can't get comfortable??? And then you keep looking at the clock and seeing the hours go by and you start panicking because you KNOW that by 7am the latest the kids will be wide awake and bursting with energy???

It's where I'm at! Hence my blog post being so late, well not really late late, but not the usual chirpy morning blah blah blah I am used to giving you all. So I'm here, tired, coffee mug in hand and trying to figure out how to make it until bedtime without conking out on the computer desk, or the couch OR the picnic table outside....which would be really bad considering the 115 º heat right now.

So I'm taking it one hour at a time, I'm forcing my eyes awake and I'm forcing my body to continue with the daily routine, the cleaning, the washing, the ironing etc etc.
But I'm not in the mood for any of that and besides, I already washed the dishes, did the last load of laundry AND ironed two baskets of clothes...I think I've done pretty good for being half out of it. Right???

I've been online trying to find some places to head to this summer, there's still so much we haven't seen of Arizona but quite frankly the heat just makes you want to stay indoors where the AC is blasting full force. But we're adventurous and we're brave and we're willing to go through a little uncomfortable ride to get to some awesome places, like these:

Tombstone, Arizona

Grand Canyon

The Pima Air & Space Museum

Don't they all look appealing??? But I tell you right now that chances are instead of going, I'll be sitting at home with a bowl of these:



Not a bad trade off, I think!

I wanted to point you in the direction of some very cute amazing wonderful sweet gorgeous awesome blogs that I recently found.

♥♥ The first one is Home Sanctuary, Rachel is the owner and she has come up with a feature called Company Girls (you can see the little button on my sidebar), and you can read more about it here and join in too if you wish. The whole concept is to make our homes Sanctuaries for our Families...that's all it took for me to say "I'm THERE".

♥♥ My Country Home, Leslie is exactly who I want to be when I grow up *snicker* I'm serious, this woman is just amazing when it comes to decorating and since I've recently gotten interested in Prim Decorating, she's my hero. If you have the time, go on over and check her out and make sure you are willing to spend an hour or so browsing her posts and all her projects.

♥♥ The Simple Woman, what can I say, apart from being the host of my new favorite meme "Simple Woman's Daybook", Peggy is just the sweetest lady.

Really, if you have a chance, go see those ladies, I promise you won't be disappointed. Me, I'm heading to the kitchen right now, I have to get my fish ready for dinner, I'm roasting it in the oven with some red peppers, onions and tomato and throwing in some potatoes to roast too. It's SO good!

Last night's dinner was a vegetable lasagna which the kids actually loved, I wasn't sure how it would go down seeing as there was no meat whatsoever, so I was pleasantly surprised.


And since you've all commented on the Cheesecake, I will say that it's gone. I don't know how, I wasn't there...well....I WAS but we won't tell anyone right??? My poor hips are begging for mercy right about now and I'm going to let them rest from the cheesecake attack but only for a bit, because there's no way I can go for a few months without having it again.

There's bound to be a birthday or a celebration of some kind coming up right? Actually...my birthday is August 10th. YIPPEE!

I hate pictures like this, they tempt you through the computer monitor. If you want to try this cheesecake for yourself, I'll post the recipe on my food blog later.....oh and here's another, one of you asked about a Chocolate Cheesecake, this is my next victim LOL Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake!

Finally I want to ask you for a few prayers, I can't say the details or exactly what or how for now, but there is a possibility that we may, possibly, maybe, hopefully be able to get stationed back at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, in the near future. You all know how much we love Idaho and it would be a dream come true to go back, so if you could just say a little prayer, I'm leaving it all in the Lord's hands but just asking that if this is where we are supposed to be headed then may the doors be opened and the path be cleared.

Have a wonderful Tuesday ladies, God Bless,

The Simple Woman's Daybook - July 7th

It's my first time participating in the Simple Woman's Daybook, I just love her idea of sharing what's going on around us and even giving you a photo or two.

If you want to join in, just got visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window...it's one of those beautiful Arizona sunrises, the sky is shades of pink and orange and it's already really REALLY hot.

I am thinking...that I hope I get all the house work done as soon as possible so I can sit down on the computer for a bit

I am thankful for...this long weekend, it's been great having hubby home from work

From the kitchen...delicious White Chococolate Pecan Caramel Cheesecake, it's so good!

I am creating...piles of laundry to iron

I am going...nowhere today, staying home and relaxing!

I am wearing...pink summer dress and I'm bare feet

I am reading...Married to the Mop by Barbara Colley

I am hoping...to have some time to sit down and play The Sims 2 (what can I say, I'm having too much fun with it)

I am hearing...the sound of jets flying over the base

Around the house...tons of toys laying around, unmade beds, mountains of laundry, it's what awaits me today

One of my favorite things...taking a drive through the countryside

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Get Nicholas registered for Kindergarten, get my driver's licence renewed before it expires the first week of August

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...thunderstorm we had on friday night

Roseda Contest Winner!

Thank you to all who participated in the contest, you guys had some amazing recipes to share.

I picked a random number through Random.org and the winner of the Summer Cookout Kit is:



#16 Tammy and Parker

Congratulations Tammy :) I'll be getting in touch with you today to get all the details for the Roseda Beef folks!

What did I do yesterday????

I had a FULL day yesterday and I loved it, so come on in and get comfortable, let me tell you about what I did and what I saw and WHO I was lucky enough to meet.

Our morning started at the Base Library, bright and early, for the kid's Reading Program. The theme was Patriotic and we had a local author come in and talk about her book and read a little to the kids, they loved it. Her name is Nancy Arnold and she's a local second grade teacher, very sweet lady, and the name of the book is Patriotic Pups.

Right after the book reading, the kids all got together for a quick craft.


It was a great way to spend the morning and being that I'm such a huge book lover I'm thrilled that my kids feel the same way too. If you remember back a year or so, I was having a hard time getting Jasmine to even read for homework, she just would not touch a book, she found reading extremely boring. Nowadays, I have to tell her to put the book down and come and eat dinner because this child will close herself in her bedroom with her books spread out around her on the bed. It makes this mommy very happy :)

Later that day we headed to the Arrowhead Towne Center to meet up with Michelle and her family. It was just wonderful finally getting to meet a bloggy friend in real life and seeing Kayla and Lucas in person. Let me tell you, Kayla is just the sweetest and cutest little girl you will ever meet, if you think she's adorable on the blog pictures you really need to meet her in person :)

We started out letting the kids play in the Children's Play Area while Michelle and I caught up while Curt and Joe got to talk Air Force stuff LOL

The kids took to each other really easy and were running around like they had known each other forever, it was very sweet to watch :)

Kayla, Jasmine and Nicholas playing!

How cute is this little baby??? The first thing Curt said to me when he saw him was "NO, don't think about it" LOL

It was awesome getting to finally see and hold Lucas, I remember when Michelle found out she was pregnant and then we all kinda felt like we were going through the pregnancy with her on the blog and finally getting to see the little one.

One of the kids favorite things was the Vortex where you drop coins inside and watch them swirl and swirl around before falling into the hole in the middle. I must have gone through handfuls of pennies and even quarters, they were just having so much fun :)


Thank you Michelle and Joe for meeting up with us, it was great finally meeting you in person and I only hope that we get to hang out again in future :)

By the time we left the mall and started heading home, the sun was starting to set and if there's one thing I've grown to love in this place, it's the sunsets. Absolutely gorgeous!


The whole time we were driving we kept saying "Man it's hot" so the first thing we did when we got back on base was check out the temperature.

As you can see, it was 7:32pm and the temperature was 108º F. GOOD GRIEF!

But our night wasn't over yet. We had picked up Mario and Sonic at the Olympics for the Wii at the mall, so we all sat down, or rather....stood up *giggle* for a game. It was a lot of fun, if any of you are looking for a great family game that everyone can get involved in, you definitely need to check this one out.

After getting the baths done and kids into bed etc, we started hearing thunder and lightning outside and I had watched the news earlier and they were talking about some thunderstorms heading into our area. Low and Behold, the sky started lighting up and I was lucky enough to catch it on camera.


WOW! Just no words, nature is breathtaking at times and all it takes to appreciate it, is stepping out into your backyard.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

It's a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, and a reason to fly the American flag.

And that is just what we're doing today.....here's what's on the menu for the BBQ:


So I'm off, I hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July, remember to stay safe and be careful out there if you're driving.

God Bless,

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

Ingredients
5 pounds pork shoulder roast
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - crushed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
16 tortillas
3 cups salsa
2 cups sour cream - optional
2 cups guacamole - optional

Directions

* Place pork in a slow cooker.
* In a small bowl, the vinegar, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, garlic powder and seasoning salt and pour over the pork roast.
* Cover with the lid and cook on low for 10-12 hours.
* Remove roast to a tray or cutting board.
* Using two forks, pull the meat apart until shredded.
* Place shredded pork in a large bowl and pour some of the liquid from the slow cooker over the meat until it is as moist as you like.
* Return the meat to the slow cooker until ready to serve.
* Warm tortillas on a hot skillet.
* Place tortillas on a plate and top with a serving spoon full of pulled pork.
* Top with your favorite salsa and serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Roseda Steak Burgers Contest!

Alrighty people, remember I told you that I recently got a few SteakBurgers sent to me by the wonderful folks at Roseda Beef. We tried them and we loved them and I did a little review for them here, then they thought that it would be a great idea to share their burgers with one of YOU.

That's right, I'm going to do a little contest and since it's summer time and with the 4th of July just around the corner, I need you to leave me a comment with one of your favorite grilling recipes, it can be a family favorite or a true and tried one or just one that you're planning to make for your family soon. Leave me the recipe, your name and a way to contact you. Due to the perishable nature of the prize, this contest is open to US residents only!



The winner will get a Summer Cookout Kit from Roseda including:

• 20 Steakburgers and buns to share with your friends and family;
• A Roseda spatula;
• A Meat 101 kit, packed with info and tips on choosing and cooking the best cuts of meat for your taste.

How cool is that???????? So again, a huge thank you to Meghan and the rest of the people at Roseda. I will announce a winner on Monday the 7th of July.

Good Luck Everyone!

A little of this and a little of that!

Good Morning everyone, come on in out of the sun, it's scorching out there today.

I'm sure the first thing you've noticed is that I've redecorated, what can I say? I bore easily! I'm just thankful that I can make my own templates otherwise we would be bankrupt and I don't think Curt would be very happy with me LOL

So what has been going on around here. First I have to tell you about these wonderful SteakBurgers that I tried, they were sent to me by the wonderful people at Roseda Beef and I did a little review over at the food blog "Full Bellies, Happy Kids", go on over and check it out and then get ready because later today I'm announcing a contest over here so that some lucky person will be able to share in the goodness of these burgers.

Did I tell you how hot it is here? Because I'm literally sweating inside the house WITH the air conditioning turned on, that's not normal and shouldn't even be legal. That's just way too hot for any human being to be subjected too, unless you're a resident of Death Valley, I think they're pretty much the only ones worse off than us poor things here in Arizona. But enough whining and complaining, it's not like the Sun is reading my blog and will decide to go easy on me LOL

I know I haven't continued with the South Africa trip posts, I will do so real soon, I promise, but things have been crazy busy here, I've been in and out of the house and then without internet, so you know....things tend to fall behind. I'm sure next week I'll be back posting pictures of the trip.

I'm just not allowing myself to follow any rules or schedules, at least not for the summer, because really summer is for having fun, drinking lemonade, trips to outdoor places with your camera in hand, watching the birds play in the sprinklers in your yard OR the kids...whichever gets to the water first.

I've already picked up a few books at the library with possible outings here in Arizona, we don't want to go too far, last thing we need is to be stuck in the car for hours with this deadly sun over our heads and cranky kids in the back seats (or cranky mom in the front). So I'm planning things that are close and that don't require big expenses...if all else fails, there's always the backyard right???


Well I'm off to get the kids some lunch, do some laundry, mop some floors and get the meat out of the refrigerator for dinner. Pastitsio...YUM!

Have a wonderful day everyone and don't forget to check back later for the Roseda SteakBurger Contest!

Back online!

I'm sure you're wondering just what I did with myself this past week. Well, I cooked and baked and I cleaned....boy did I clean, my house hasn't been this clean and organized in a very long time....and most of all I read. I have read 5 books and not just little paperback ones.......FIVE HUGE HARDCOVER ones with 500 or so pages. Why??? Because I love reading and because I was bored and for the first time in my life I found myself looking around and saying "I have nothing to do" LOL

See that picture up top? That's my lemon tree, my beautiful gorgeous lemon tree which I adore and which seems to be falling apart on it's own. I don't know why or how or what is making this happen but it's the second time that we've lost half of the tree.

The kids were playing outside and I heard Nicholas yell that the tree fell down....when we ran outside to check we came upon it looking like that, it just broke right off, it's like the branch splintered and fell. Why is this happening???? I'm no gardener or tree expert so if anyone out there would like to clue me in, I would very much appreciate it. In the meantime I have to pick that heavy branch up with all it's baby lemons on it and discard of it AND then inform the kids that they are not allowed to play anywhere near that tree. Can you just imagine if one of them was under there when it fell??? *shiver* Thank the Lord that they weren't!

My netflix movies arrived this past week and I decided to give them a try...it was the first 3 discs of the "Rome" series. I'll tell you that I watched about 10 minutes of the first one and turned it off, it just didn't do it for me, so back they went to the mailbox and today I received the next 3 on my Queue:

Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny
Gettysburg
Nothing too good for a Cowboy



In the meantime I also made covers for my washer and dryer. Usually I would leave them without anything on but I got tired of cleaning the dust that collects on them, and, I had this great fabric just sitting there doing nothing.

Here's the final result....it's not perfect but it works for me and I like it.



And when I wasn't sewing I was busy cooking and baking which is by far my favorite way to spend the day. So if you are looking for a great easy to die for dessert, here's one for you:

It's a portuguese Orange Roll and it's just delicious. I will have the recipe on the food blog later today along with a review for the best Steak burgers EVER. Yes you heard me, Steak Burgers from Roseda....they contacted me and asked if I wanted to try them out, I'm SO glad I said yes because we just loved them.

But more on that on the food blog and here on this one later.....I haven't been to any of your blogs yet so I don't know what is going on, but the last time I was able to check my email Susanne told me that she had tagged me for a book meme. It's like she could read my mind and knew that since I had no internet, I would have been reading away my time....she's a smart lady LOL

So here it is:

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading? I have always loved reading and there really isn't a time in my life when I can remember not having a book around me. From an early age I was engrossed in books, literally devouring as many as I could.

2. What are some books you read as a child? Being that I am portuguese I did read a lot of portuguese children's books, I remember this set in particular that I just loved and actually just saw it again at my dad's house when I was back in Africa last month. I also remember Nancy Drew and The magnificent Seven books, but the one that stuck out the most for me would have to be The Strawberry Girl.

3. What is your favorite genre? Definitely Historic Romance but lately I'm into the Twilight Series which is all about Vampires and Romance LOL

4. Do you have a favorite novel? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I have read some amazingly good books but never in my life had a I cried like a baby, until I had this book in my hands, it is by far my favorite novel EVER.

5. Where do you usually read? Anywhere I can. Like Susanne, nothing is off bounds....I read in the kitchen, in the living room, in bed, I even take the book with me to read in the car while I wait to pick up kids or to catch a quick peek before I head into the store. *snicker*

6. When do you usually read? Whenever I can. If I'm really into a book I find myself with it stuck to me all day long, but mostly at night, after the kids are in bed, I just get under the covers and read for hours.

7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? Uhhhhh....YES! LOL
I know some people don't like it and get confused reading too many, but I don't....I can easily read 3 different books at a time.

8. Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? Non fictions require a lot more patience and concentration from me. With fiction I can just tune out and read it anywhere, but if it's a biography or a Christian devotional or the Bible or something else, then I have to have quiet and I need to concentrate. I do tend to get bored with non fictions though and can't really devour them like I do the fiction.

9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library? I check out a lot from the library, but I also buy tons and I also get them from Paperbackswap. Heck anyway I can get my hands on a book I will LOL

10. Do you keep most of the books you buy? Yes I do, hence our lack of space for books in this house and the overfilled bookshelves. I do trade them out through Paperbackswap but it depends on the book. Some I just can't bring myself to part with.

11. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? For my 9 year old daughter Jasmine, it would have to be the American Girl books and Anne of Green Gables. With my 5 year old son Nicholas, it's harder....he just likes anything LOL

12. What are you reading now? I just finished the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer...absolutely addicted to those and can't wait for the new one in August. I also just finished Lorie Wick's "Sophie's Heart" and a funny one called "Deep Dish" by Mary Kay Andrews. Right now I'm reading "A Version of the Truth" by Jennifer Kauffman and "Married to the Mop" by Barbara Colley.

13. Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list? No, but I do keep a TBR Shelf which is full and I still find myself adding more to it everyday.

14. What’s next? Next is "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer, the conclusion to ther Twilight Series.

15. What books would you like to reread? All of Julia Quinn's books...love her historical romance.

16. Who are your favorite authors?

Francine Rivers....Lorie Foster.....Fannie Flagg.....Julia Quinn......Lori Wick.....oh I could just go on and on LOL


And there you have it and I can't just walk away without tagging someone, anyone.....so I have to tag Renee because she loves reading about as much as I do, I'm not sure who else wants to do the meme, but if you do then let me know so I can come and see yours :)

That's it for now, I think I've talked way too much and besides I have groceries to go buy and bills to pay and all that other fun stuff that comes with payday.

I'll fill you in more on what's going on here tomorrow....like the kids Library Reading Program.

Big Five Magnet WINNER!

Thank you to all who participated in the giveaway and I'm sorry that I am only now getting to the winner....but I'm sure if you read my blog you would be aware that I had no internet access since last week wednesday.

Anyway....I used the Random Generator and the winner of the Big Five Magnet is:




# 8 Courtney at Him and Me Plus 3

Congratulations Court :) Please email me your address so I can send out the magnet!