Menu Monday

Monday already? Gah! Where does the time go?!?

Did everyone have a fantastic Easter? I did...very much enjoyed time with my kiddos and I absolutely loved seeing their excitement over the goodies in their baskets! Luc started baseball (practice) this weekend too, so we are really starting to look forward to Spring sports!

I got our menu all planned out for the next two weeks and shopped on Saturday. (However, even though I plan for two weeks at a time, I'm only going to share one week at a time here.)

So here we go!

Sunday 4/24
Baked Ham
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Broccoli Ritz "Casserole"
Dinner Rolls (TOTALLY spaced it and forgot to make the dinner rolls last night!)
Strawberry Shortcake for dessert!

Monday 4/25
Honey Mustard Chicken (Slow-Cooker!)
Rice
Steamed Veggies
(We were supposed to have this last week and plans got changed.)

Tuesday 4/26
"Beefy Nachos"
(Basically a "nacho bar" set up with chips, taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacomole, and nacho cheese! Build your own nachos! Luc's requested meal of the week!)

Wednesday 4/27
Ham & Corn Chowder
Dinner Rolls
I will be using THIS recipe, as a base (using up leftover ham...woot!) but have some changes to make. If it turns out as deliciously as I'm expecting, I will create a separate post with the recipe!

Thursday 4/28
LEFTOVERS!! (Exclamation points make everything more exciting...right??)

Friday 4/29
Homemade Pizza...one buffalo chicken and one taco pizza (using leftover taco meat from our nacho bar day!). YUMMY! Can't wait! (This was Mikey's requested meal of the week!)
Salads

Saturday 4/30
Steak Sandwiches (Another new recipe I'll be trying...I will post if it's delish!)
Oven fries

Hello Health, Week 1!

I am taking part in a weekly "Hello Health Party" over at "Along the Way with K&J!"

It's just an exercise in accountablity on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I've been needing to do this for sometime, and figure nows as good a time as any!

Days I have worked out this week: NONE (LOL! This is my first time doing this, so next week I will hopefully have a better answer!)

Minutes per day I worked out: N/A

Health Find/Tip of the Week: I have been trying to portion out things like chips into individual serving size bags when I bring them home from the grocery store. Keeps me from sitting down with a bag of Doritos and polishing off half the bag! It's hard to find time, sometimes, but I just need to keep MAKING time. Gotta make it a priority, I guess!

Health Question of the week...Any workout DVD's you LOVE?: I love my "Pilates for Every Body", but I sadly don't use it any more. I have 10 Minute Trainer and P90X to try too, though, so once I give those a go, I'll get back to you. :)

Pounds lost this week/so far: Again, since this is my first time linking up, I haven't lost anything...but I took my starting weight and my GOAL is to lose a total of "27.6" pounds over the next several months. Wish me luck!!

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Now more on why and how I'm doing this.

Winter is on it's way. I cook a lot of "comfort food" type foods in the Winter...yummy! (Shephard's Pie tonight in fact!) And, due to my LOATHING of cold weather, I don't go outside much and therefore am not very active. So I NEED to get this situation under control before the snow flies!

Honestly, I don't have a lot of time to devote to working out. I love to take walks, but am so swamped with kids and my day job and my photography and LIFE, that I don't have time to do it. But I need to. I need to walk, or even just spend a good half an hour cleaning vigourously or something. I am looking for an elliptical but haven't found a good deal as of it. Until then, I've got to just "MAKE" a cardio workout, even if it's raking leaves or dancing around with my boys. I've got to do something.

I want to be healthy, and I want a healthy family. We LOVE food (me, especially) so I need to preach portion control and wise choices. It's a work-in-progress, for sure...but we'll get there. :)

So, I will be posting and linking up every Monday for as long as Katie keeps her Linky Party going, just to keep myself accountable, whether I had a good week or a bad week. If anyone is interested, stop on by her blog and link up yourself!

Remember...10 in 10 starts tonight! (I should've done it yesterday...10 in 10 for 10/10/10...whoa. Ha!)

Back later!

It's All About the Benji, Baby...

Benji update! Our sweet little 6lb 4oz peanut, is now a whopping 14.6lb OX, who is an absolute JOY!

Some photos...for fun!

Ooooo Boy!!!

Does anyone remember last year around this time there was a "10 in 10" party out there in blog-land. It was a linky party for people on a mission to complete 10 projects on their too long to-do lists in 10 days. I gave it a go...here's my original post on it: http://motoxmomma.blogspot.com/2009/10/add.html

Sooooooooo...linky party or not, I'm doing it again this year. I seem to work better under pressure! LOL!

If anyone shows interest I can set up a linky party...but either way, I'm doing it...starting this coming Monday I think is my plan. Linky party anyone?? ANYONE?!?! (Bueller? Bueller???)

Sorry...it's been a long day already. I think I'm getting delusional.

10 in 10 this Monday folks...watch for it!

Stuff and Things.

Well, I took the plunge...yesterday, I had my tubes tied! Yes...I know it's cheaper, easier, smoother recovery, etc. for the man just to get the snip, BUT, from what I know of guys and their balls...no way was I going to try to force the man to let someone near his with a scissors! LOL!

So, I did it. Surgery went okay, recovery is going smoothly I suppose. I'm sore...bruised and ready to feel back to normal, but enjoying my week off of work and getting to spend more time with the kids. OH, how I wish I could be a stay at home mom...some day!!

So I made beef stew today...yummy! (Recipe: here ), have been taking care of a sick Luc (poor buddy has a bad headache that has woken him up crying several times...I hope he isn't a migraine sufferer like my brother, mom and I...), and just making the most of my time at home. (As much as I can anyway...I'm pretty slow moving with the soreness.)

I got a MOBY wrap today though! I'm still learning how to wrap/tie it but even with my painful incisions, I could comfortably wear Benji...AMAZING! I wish I had one of these for all my kids...or even had one earlier with Benj. I've been having a really hard time lately coming to terms, not so much with the fact that I won't have any more kids, but more with the fact that I won't ever have an 8 week old again...or a 9 week old...or a 10 week old...if that makes sense? I am hating having to go back to work, so I am trying to cherish every second I can with Benj as a baby...and having the Moby wrap will allow me to still be productive while keeping him close to me when I am home. :)

Anywho...some quick pics to share...

Veggies ready for sauteing...and a bowl of beef stew! (Seriously, check out the recipe! So delish!)



And me snuggled up with my boy! <3



xoxo

36 weeks today and feeling it!

I've been SO sleepy lately! I don't know if it's because it's hot out or what, but I'm TIRED, and ready to be DONE!!!

Only one more week until I'm considered full term (and I had both Luc and Mikey at 37 weeks!!). It is just crazy to me to think the little man (yes, he's still nameless) could really be here any day! Exciting though...I can't wait to meet him! :) (And to be done being pregnant FOREVER! LOL!)

The kids and I are hoping to squeeze in a couple more projects before he gets here, but we'll see how things play out! And SOON, we will have lots of photos to share of our bedroom makeovers! We moved to another bedroom, and are moving the kids around to different rooms, so as those moves are finished up and the rooms decorated, I will be sure to share photos! It is an exciting and busy time in our lives right now!!

Beyond all that, not much else to update on...just busy with life, getting ready for the little guy, and working on the barrage of senior photo sessions I feel lucky to have been hit with this summer! (Sneak Peeks and Specials on my other blog...link in the side bar!)

Anywho...talk soon!

xoxo

23 Weeks...and Projects Coming Up!

I'm giving the 23 Week Update a couple days early...technically, I'm not 23 weeks until Tuesday.

I've been having some pretty severe pelvic pain (as in, pain actually IN the bone...or so it feels like) so I will be making an OB appointment for this week, and hopefully they can do something for me. I talked to the nurse last week and she thought it was probably round ligament pain. I've done this a few times though, and know round ligament pain when I feel it. (Although, I will say I have noticed much more round ligament pain this time than with the other pregnancies.) This is different, new to me, and not "normal". Standing or walking for extended periods of time is getting harder and harder, so that's not fun. I've done some research on what the problem could be...but I'll wait until I see the doctor and see what he says.

On a happy note, little Mister Man has been squirming and kicking up a storm! That is fun for his older brothers who have been able to feel his kicks! :)

According to baby center, little dude is almost a foot long and is starting to recognize loud noises that we hear often...like the dogs barking (or dirt bikes!!) Fun!

On NON-baby notes...RUMMAGE SALE SEASON has begun!! (Ok...I guess that's baby related too because I'm always on the lookout for cute clothes and great deals on baby stuff!) The man and I hate a few around town this past weekend and scored a chest freezer (which we NEEDED) for $25!! Nice!! AND, this was our first time yard sale-ing in our new MINIVAN!! That's right...I've crossed over to the dark side, and I'm loving every minute of it! :)

As for upcoming projects, as promised, we'll be starting the kids rooms soon and will have lots to share on our progress! I've been researching lots and am excited to start some canvas art for their rooms!! I also want to make a weekly menu board...just something to keep myself organized, and the family informed of what momma will be serving up that week! Those are the couple things close on horizon, so be watching for those. OH! And I will have a new recipe to share this week...YUMMY!

Alrighty folks...I gotta try to get some sleep. (Getting harder and harder these days...)

Ciao,

Loving Life & a 21 Week Update

Quick pregnancy update...things are going well. I'm measuring right on target. Not gaining ANY weight, which is fine by me as long as our baby BOY is healthy! Yep...I am soon to be the mom of FOUR boys! Love it! I'm feeling better (minus a punishing UTI I'm dealing with right now) and baby is rocking out, kicking up a storm in my ever-expanding belly!

PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!! We have SO much on the horizon!!

I've found a project I am including the kiddos on that I cannot WAIT to try! We are going to make onesies for our baby BOY, due August 10th! Now that I am finally feeling better after what seemed like NEVER-ENDING "morning" sickness. I can cook again...and clean...and CRAFT! Yay!

So I will be much more present, now! Spring is in the air...which always invigorates my heart! I've got photography work going on which makes me happy. The baby is seeming more real to the kids now that I'm getting a big belly and since we found out it's a boy! I just feel so much more like myself! Ahhh...bliss!

Now that I'm back COOKING up a storm, you can be expecting more new recipe posts! (And this is a long way off, but I am very much looking forward to trying something new...making our own baby food!)

We've got LOTS of home renovations going on too...we're doing some bedroom swapping, and all the kids (and the man and I) will be shifted around and in new and improved rooms! Lots of fun...and lots to post about!

Ahhh...I am feeling GOOD about life today! Love days like that! Back tomorrow with my son William's favorite dish to post about...SUPER EASY "Half-Homemade" Chicken Enchiladas!! Yummy!!

xoxo

Oh Happy Day

It's a gorgeous day...the windows are open letting fresh SPRING air into the house, and I am now the proud new owner of a DISHWASHER, installed yesterday by my awesome step-dad!!! I am SO excited!! He's coming back today to finish securing it, but I already ran one load of dishes yesterday and it was GLORIOUS! LOL!

You know you're "growing up" when appliances make your day!

Pregnancy Update - 17 Weeks!

Inching closer...17 weeks today!!

Baby's skeleton is turning from cartilage to bone now...hopefully he (or she) will have nice strong bones so our mini-MX'er isn't prone to breaks later in life!!! Daddy's broken a collar bone and a toe (inevitable with his sport of choice) and I've broken my foot (because I'm a klutz) so I suppose we're not TOO terribly accident-prone! We're big milk drinkers so that should help, too, I suppose! :)

This weeks "produce" comparison?? TURNIP...baby weighs about as much as a turnip. I'm not much of a turnip eater myself but I carved one like a jack-o-lantern once (it's tough...I don't reccommend it), so I'm familiar with the size/weight.

Not TOO much changing around here...I'm feeling more frequent movement lately, so that's exciting! I can't wait until the man can feel it! I am anxiously awaiting my ultrasound appt. in a couple weeks!! Then we can start shopping! We have NO baby stuff left, so we're starting over...I have found two cribs I like but want to wait to see if we're having a boy or girl first to decide which to get. And then there's wall paint, bedding, toys, clothes, diapers, ohhhhhhh...sooo much to buy!!! Scary!!

We're having a "Baby Bash" this summer though...a Co-Ed "baby shower" thrown by my cousin, that's mostly going to be just a big party to celebrate...we'll have a BBQ and yard games. More on that later... ;)

ANYWHO...gotta run. Much to do!

xoxo

Pregnancy - Week 10

I want to start posting weekly updates on myself and the “babycakes”…I will eventually be including frequent photos but definitely not yet. ;-)

So I’m in week 10 (my weeks actually change on Thursday…so this Thursday will start Week 11, but it’s easier for me to update on Sunday or Monday so that’s the plan for now…dig it?)

Apparently the baby is the size of a “kumquat”. I can HONESTLY say I’ve never in my life seen a kumquat, but it’s bigger than last week which was “small plum”. He or she is growing really fast right now and I am looking forward to looking pregnant instead of fat and bloated. :)

I’m still feeling sick more often than not, but I do have “good” days where I can actually make dinner or do ONE load of laundry before falling back onto the couch moaning and sick. I am definitely ready to be feeling better. I know that generally that takes place around the end of the first trimester, which is in a couple weeks for me, BUT, I also know (from experience) that it’s not like I’m going to wake up Thursday a couple weeks from now and magically feel better. Hopefully, though, a little bit at a time I will improve and can get back to feeling like myself again.

I’m on a cloth diaper kick right now and trying to talk the man into jumping on board (so far he’s pretty adamantly against it…I’m holding out hope though…) and reading as much as I can on the subject. I’m also REALLY anxious to get our new master bedroom finished, get the boys into their new room, finish Will’s and McKenzie’s beds/rooms…and then wait impatiently until the big ultrasound to find out who gets to share a room with the new baby!

OH…and we got a new puppy. (Yes…I am indeed crazy. How’d you guess?) He’s a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix ( Chorkie?? Yorkie-huahua??) He is the CUTEST thing I’ve ever seen…now if he could just stop peeing on the floor we’d be all set! :)

Ok…that’s about it for now. Nothing else new on the home front. I’m not feeling well enough to be doing any new (or finishing any old) projects, but soon I hope! Oh, and I do have a new recipe to share soon. The family LOVED it…but I’m so turned off by the thought of food right this second, that the thought of typing any more about it is going to make me gag, so that’s going to have to wait.

xoxo

Update

I am still feeling SO very unwell, so for now, posting will remain scarce. I've got my confirmed due date now...August 12th! So hopefully I'm only a month or so away from feeling MUCH better! (PLEASE keep your fingers crossed for me!)

Miss my blog... :( **sigh**

"I'll be back...don't ya worry" (Quote from an old video game I used to be BIG into! Whatever happened to Oddworld games...they were my FAVE!)

Anywho...miss ya!

SURPRISE!!

Alright...it's time to spill the beans. (Better late than never, right?)

So the big news IS...

We're having a BABY!

That's right...the man (Adam) and I are expecting our first child together!!! :) It was definitely an unexpected surprise, but we're happy and excited to be having our first (and LAST) baby together. If you're a regular reader, you'll remember that I currently have three sons and he has one daughter, so this will be our full house. NO MORE! LOL!

Soooo...now you maybe understand why I've been scarce with my posting. I've been SO sick and miserable...it's hard to motivate myself to do much of anything. But once I'm through this stage, I'm sure I'll be back posting full force! And you can fully expect more "parenting" focused posts, due to that consuming a lot of my mind lately!

So anyway, SURPRISE! Now you know!

DIY Rustic Santa and Snowmen Ornaments

It's DIY day at ASPTL! Linking up...check it out!



I made these a couple years back and they are one of my favorites on our tree...which is generally a hodge podge of ornaments we've collected over the years, ornaments we've made, and ornaments from the kiddos. I used to love the idea of a classy "themed" tree, but you know...Christmas is so much about family for me...I love our tree just how it is.






Rustic Snowmen and Santa Ornaments

You need:

Sticks (or Dowels) cut into approx. 3 inch pieces
Acrylic Paint
A drill with a fine drill bit
Ornament Hangers
Paint Marker

So...I used sticks I collected from the yard, but you could just as easily use dowels. If you use sticks, use a knife or razor blade to scrape the bark off. (Also, rather than doing a clean cut, because I used sticks, I snapped them off for a rougher edge and a more "rustic" look.)

Next, drill a hole in the in one end of each stick...this will be wear you put the ornament hanger through later.

Next, get your acrylic paint...I used white on the bottoms and black on the top for the snowmen, and red with a peach "face" and white beard for the Santa. When these dried, I used the paint markers to add the details. You could easily do this with a small paint brush if you are so inclined.

Once everything is dry, add the hangers. I used the the larger end of the hooks...the end you'd normally use to go over the branch, and slide it through the hole you drilled, twist it around and finish it. Then open up the smaller hook end to use for hanging on your tree.

TADA! A little bit rustic...a little bit country...and lots of charm and fun! :)

Jenn's MUST HAVES...2009!

It's that time of year again! I want to share a list of some of my favorite things from the past year...maybe you'll find something you too, MUST HAVE! This year, my list is mostly simple things...items for around the house, but every single one of them is great!

Without further ado...

JENN'S MUST HAVES OF 2009

Palmolive Aroma Sensations lavender dish soap.
I LOVE this stuff! Don't get me wrong...I am so very anxious for my dishwasher to be installed, but in the meantime, this soap smells so wonderful and rinses clean. Plus, it's not too harsh on my hands. I'm a big fan!

Dial "White Tea" scent Foaming Handwash. This is a completely clear bottle and soap so it looks great, and the foaming action makes my boys EXCITED to wash their hands. Plus it smells delish!

Blistex Herbal Answer chapstick. Easily my fave chapstick EVER! Trust me!

I know this next item isn't new to some people, but I recently upgraded from Adobe Photoshop 7 to Adobe Photoshop CS3 and I'm in heaven. For the layout changes alone, it was worth the upgrade! I recommend it! Check out Adobe.com for details!

Have you heard about music available under the Creative Commons license? www.jamendo.com
You MUST check this out! It's free and legal downloads made available by artists who believe in sharing music with the masses. FANTASTIC!

REDBOX! Oooo...I love me some Redbox!!! $1 DVD rentals?? Yes, please! LOVE it!

Still to come...JENN'S MOST WANTED LIST for 2010!!

Thanksgiving Tradition, Tips, Tricks and a Recipe

So, Thanksgiving and I have had a secret (or not so secret) love affair going on for the past 6 years or so. Turkey Day and X-mas run a head-to-head constant competition for my affection, and Thanksgiving just might have the edge.

I made my first Thanksgiving dinner the year I moved to Delaware with my (now ex-) husband. It was delicious. I was hooked. I have since continued with successful dinners (with the exception of the infamous oven fire of ’05!! Story in a minute…) and wanted to share some tips and a fave recipe of mine!

When I divorced and moved back to Wisconsin (home), I wanted to make my own dinner, but my family was NOT planning on showing up. They go to Grandmas’ every year and that is just that. Fine. I don’t want to miss out on that either, so I go to Grandma’s on Thursday (and then to the man’s Aunts house in the evening…yep! TWO Dinners…yummy!)

Then FRIDAY after Black Friday shopping, I come home and make “The Day after Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving!” Some might call me nuts…why go through the work if I don’t have to?? But, I love everything about this holiday. I love the food, the smells, the colors, the time spent with family, the reminder to be thankful for your life…ahhh…Thanksgiving rocks my socks! And I adore our yearly tradition of spending a day with family, and then spending the next day with friends enjoying good food and each other's company!

So, on that note, I am going to share a couple tried and true Thanksgiving recipes, tips and tricks. But first…the oven fire.

November of 2005...I was up early and a cooking fool all day long. I had everything timed out so that our HUGE dinner would be done at 2:45...one of my better “skills” in cooking is timing out my stuff to all get done at the same time, and let me tell ya...I was ON!

We were bringing dinner over to the local church to eat with a bunch of friends. The kids were dressed and ready to go, the ex was bringing food out to the car, and I was finishing up in the kitchen...RIGHT ON TIME.

I pulled the rolls out of the oven...moved the sweet potatoes up to the top rack and set the oven to broil to brown the marshmallow stuff on top. As I'm tossing rolls in a basket, I smell burning marshmallow...ohhhh no!

I open the oven and I kid you not, my entire effing oven was ablaze. I about peed myself. I run out the door and yell for the ex to “COME BACK REALLY FAST" (LOL…I didn't want to scream "FIRE!!!!!!!" across the parking lot…) I remember him saying he could hear the panic in my voice.

He runs up, slams the oven door shut...I'm screaming that I already tried that...Luc's at the gate to the kitchen going "Oooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and pointing …it was bad. Ex grabbed the fire extinguisher, and emptied the WHOLE THING into the oven.

(As a side note, my grandpa would be so disappointed in me...before he retired he worked for Ansul (Tyco) Corp. traveling all over the world teaching businesses how to use different types of fire extinguishers. He taught us what to do when we were little kids, and like a total d-bag, I did nothing. I got a box of baking soda from him for Christmas that year…LMAO!)

So anyway, I later realized what happened…I was using throw away pans...they've oven safe...but they're CARDBOARD!!!!! Broiler lights the cardboard on fire, which lights the sweet potatoes on fire, which must’ve lit the coils on fire…and the rest is history. The oven was destroyed by the way. Super bummer.

SO…

TIP #1…if you’re using disposable pans, ONLY USE ALUMINUM! (OR…read the directions and don’t stick the cardboard pans under the broiler…whichever!)

TIP #2…Do you struggle to bake a perfectly golden turkey like you see in movies and on commercials? I am going to describe my turkey baking process to you. It hasn’t failed me yet, and I have yet to have a single Thanksgiving without people raving about my Turkey...both how it looks and how moist it stays.

Clean the turkey (I use a 20+ lb-er, for the record), don’t stuff it, put it in the pan, and brush it with an entire stick of melted butter. Bake per package directions, basting as you go. I KNOW…I know some people say not to baste...that it's "unneccessary". Well, “Some People” have not tried MY turkey. Baste it…often.

When the top starts to brown, tent it with aluminum foil until it’s done. After you take it out of the oven, let it sit a good 15-20 minutes before carving it. You won’t be sorry. :)

TIP #3…Get someone else to do the dishes! ;)

And, as promised, a recipe I LOVE.

I got this from a photographer friend and I make it every year...

WILD RICE & SAUSAGE “STUFFING”

1 package Uncle Ben’s Wild & Long Grain Rice (Original…not Quick)
2 Tbsp. Butter
½ cup Chopped Onion
½ lb. Bulk Pork Sausage – Cooked

1. Saute your rice in butter until the white rice turns light brown. Remove from pan.
2. Saute your onion in the pan until soft.
3. Stir in the seasoning packet from the rice, the browned rice and boiling water according to package directions, as well as the cooked sausage.
4. Pour into a baking dish and bake at covered at 350 for 45 minutes. You can then either use it as a stuffing (which I’ve never tried) or serve it as a side dish.

SO yummy! I hope every one of my readers has a beautiful holiday! I'll be back posting Friday or Saturday!!

See you then,

'

Christmas Wreaths - DIY

I am finally posting the two wreath projects I promised. I have one more in the works...hopefully I can work on it over this long weekend!

This first one I saw on several blogs, but the instructions for most originated from Eddie Ross. I must say...it was harder than I thought. I super glued all the tops on these christmas ball ornaments (all from Dollar Tree). I managed to completely cover myself in glitter...couch too...I looked like Tinkerbell threw up pixie dust all over me. It was lovely.

I bent the hanger into a what LOOKED like a circle (until I had it filled with bulbs and then realized otherwise...meh!), strung the bulbs on, bunched them together and then screamed and (almost) cried and fought with this thing to get it closed at the top.

I finally just did some "creative wrapping" (ha)with some wire edge ribbon. Don't hate me. I was about it throw the wreath...LOL! It will stay this way for this year, but after I take it down, the bow is coming off and I'm gonna let the man close it up with some sort of tool and snip the "hook" part of the hanger off for me. (And for what it's worth, that cluster of silver ornaments on the one side drives me CRAZY but I'm NOT fixing it...it doesn't have to be perfect...or so I keep trying to convince myself!)

Inspiration for my other Christmas wreath came from AnNicole at Our Suburban Cottage. She fell in love with a pretty Pottery Barn wreath, but not so much in love with their price tag. She did a FANTASTIC knock-off, which inspired me to revamp an old wreath I had. I wish I would've taken a before picture of this...it was T-A-C-K-Y!! Seriously.

I put this wreath together in about five minutes, five years ago. I pulled EVERYTHING out of it, used some wire ornament hangers to wire some gold balls nestled into the branches, added in some sparkly berries for "filler" and DONE. SOOOO much better...you have NO idea! (I only wish we would've made the time to paint our front door black over the summer, but...there's always next year!)

I am linking this post up at Kimba's DIY day...there is a TON of crafty goodness going on over there, so make sure you stop on by!!

Coming later today...tried and true Thanksgiving recipes and tips!!

Mmm...Pulled Pork!

I need to get into the habit of taking photos as I cook to include with my recipe posts...I'm sorry...I'll try harder!!!

Last week, the man mentioned that he was craving a Pulled Pork sandwich. My poor family...we don't EVER have pork chops, or roast...rarely I'll make ham (just at Christmas)...bacon is a regular, I guess. But I don't know...I just don't *do* pork. Ick.

BUT, I aim to please. :) So I modified a couple recipes to come up with my own pulled pork recipe...and let me tell you...even I liked it!! That is REALLY saying something, because seriously...pork? Ick.

Pulled Pork - Southern Style
1 2-3 lb. pork butt roast (REALLY? I mean, how adding the word BUTT makes this more appetizing is beyond me, but after reading a few recipes, it's what I decided on because it has a higher fat content. Fat = Flavor people!)
Minced Garlic to taste
Liquid Smoke
Seasoned Salt
Onion Powder
Black Pepper
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbsp. butter

1. Cut the roast into "chunks". My average piece ended up about 4 inches long by 2-3 inches wide. Season both sides of the meat with onion powder, black pepper and just a LITTLE BIT of seasoned salt. Rub this into the meat (with your hands).
2. Melt the butter in a sauce pan, and brown the meat on all sides. Added minced garlic and continue to cook everything another minute or two.
3. Dump the contents of your sauce pan into a crock pot...pour chicken broth into the sauce pan and use a spoon to scrape up all the good stuff from the meat off the bottom of the pan. (The broth helps release some of this.) Pour that (broth and "stuff") into the crock pot as well.
4. Add a splash of worchesterchire and about 4 Tbsp. of Liquid Smoke.
5. Lock the lid on the crock pot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, and then on low for another 2 hours. Resist the urge to open the crock pot...just let it do it's thing.
6. After cooking, remove the lid and if you did everything just right, your meat will shred itself the second you take a fork to it. Shred it up and serve on buns with BBQ sauce on top. (Some people mix the BBQ sauce in, but that's not how we roll. :)

Try it with Sweet Baby Ray's "Sweet and Spicy"..yum!!!!!!! The man and his friends were impressed, and like I said...even I didn't go "ICK!" It smelled good and tasted even better! We'll definitely be enjoying this one for years to come!

Diet Soda Cake - Yum!

Super fast, Super easy, SUPER Delicious!

I've heard of people doing this before, but never tried it myself. Basically, you take your good ol' cake mix, and instead of using eggs + oil + water, you replace those three with one can of Diet Soda. If there's one thing I love, it's Diet Soda. Sign me up!

Last night after our lasagna, I decided we needed a dessert. (Of course, a short time later, the kids starting acting up and went to bed with no bedtime snack. I know...mean, mean momma...but that's neither here nor there.)

ANYWAY...I went with carrot cake, since it's spicy and yummy for fall. Mixed the box mix with a can of Diet Mtn. Dew (it was that or Diet Dr. Pepper...ha!) and baked as directed.

Let me tell ya...SUPER moist, and oh so delish!!!! I frosted it with cream cheese frosting and enjoyed the heck out of it! (And I sent some with grandma today so the kids could have a snack at her house...see??? I'm not THAT mean!)

I can't wait to try this trick again. I want to do a vanilla cake with an orange soda! I think (hope!) it will be citrus-y and wonderful! YUMMY!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Ahhh...what a great weekend! Got a fish fry on Friday with the man...yummy!! Went yard sale-ing Saturday morning with the man and got a couple good deals...a CUTE little galvanized metal tray (not sure what I'm going to use it for yet, but I'll think of something!!), a huge, beautiful glass platter for Thanksgiving (I've been looking for one at the store and they're always either ugly or expensive and the one I found was $2 and I LOVE it!), AND I scored several blue glass Ball canning jars (some WITH lids!) I was SUPER stoked!

Then while the man worked around the house, I spent the afternoon at my "little" brothers football game! (I use the word "little" lightly...he may be barely over half my age, but he towers over me...see???)


Anyway, it was our local rivalry "M&M Game" and WE WON! Woot!!!! GO MAROON AND GOLD!!!! Had a great time there! It was a GORGEOUS day for football!

Took an evening trip to Menards with the man (always fun!) and hit up a great sale at Kmart to get early X-mas gifts for the kiddos (shhh!!!!) Then spent the rest of the night at home playing Scene It and watching a movie!

Sunday was my usual cleaning, cooking and football! Then tonight we (ok...ADAM) replaced the HIDEOUS flooring we still had in the entryway to our home. This is step ONE in a complete entryway makeover! We've got BIG plans for this SMALL space! Can't wait! But...one step at a time! :)

Here's the buddies getting in on the action...


And, the finished product...LOVE it!


I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend as well! Back to the grind tomorrow!

xoxo