Sweet Game Treats!

Okay enough of this food for games we need some sweet treats happening!  How about some traditional rice krispy treats??

I wont tell you how to make those! These ones had a little sprinkles added to them.  For a variety, try adding chocolate chips or a few tablespoons of a white cake mix to the marshmallows when melting.  Melt chocolate chips and spread the chocolate mixture on top. Mmmm, yum!

How about these chocolate oatmeal coconut  no bake cookies!  Yum, I'm going to have to make more of these; I just ate the last one!  They don't last long!  Especially with chocolate and coconut lovers!

Cookie brownies! Or one or the other or both in one!!  Use a muffin tin or cupcake pan for these delightful treats! Pleases both kids and parents!  Dunk in a bit of milk!

Okay, here's my treat ideas for the big game on Sunday!

What are you going to make to satisfy your sweet toothes on game day?

Pizza and Popcorn!

A family favorite while watching a game, movie or some crazy TV show is pizza and popcorn!  Buy it, make it, bake it!  Yum-O! We usually buy pizza from Winco Foods.  It tastes so much better than frozen and some chain stores.  We would get Costco pizza, either baked or bought to cook yourself but one kid in the family get severe tummy aches when eaten.  Or you can make your own! 

Two pizzas fill our family of 6. Nothing else needed!  Sometimes we have a nice healthy green salad with it! Who wants salad on a football game...didn't think so!!  Don't forget some awesome soda to go with it!

Now how about some popcorn! Microwave bags aren't for us.  We like to use a big pan on the stove top and some oil.  About 1/3 cup of oil to 1 cup popcorn, cooked on high heat while shaking the pan so it doesn't burn!  Turns out great!

Add little salt to it and grab some icy cold water to drink with it! Great snack to eat while watching football or any TV or movie show!!

Chips and Dip for Football Game!

Okay here's some quick and easy dip and salsa for the football game. My favorite is the onion soup mix dip and homemade salsa.

Use your favorite Onion Soup Mix and sour cream is all you need.

Mix together, dip your chips and enjoy! To make this even yummier, make a few days ahead of the game!  I think its better when it has sat mixed together in the fridge a few days!!  It's kinda like the day old spagehetti, always better the next day!

Match it with your favorite chips!! Yum yum!

Okay homemade Salsa!!  Oh my!  I started making salsa years ago when I would take my boys on a road trip to visit my lil sis in Oregon.  I wish they still lived there, what a short trip that would be! Well, she would make it & I would eat it!  Oh, yeah, right back on subject! We would make salsa, canned tomatoes or fresh if they were on sale, garlic, cilantro, onion and lime is all you need unless you like to turn up the heat a bit and add in there a jalepeno pepper. Salt and pepper too!  Chop up the tomato and onion. Use the same amount of both, so if you use a cup of tomato use a cup of onion, just saying.  Add in there a tablespoon of garlic, mix, add in some cilantro, about half a bunch will do. Squeeze the lime all over it, add in jalapeno pepper too. Mix well!

Eat with some yummy tortilla chips!  It kinda looks like Christmas colors!!

Game Day Potatoes!

Last year my hubby said I needed a new cookbook.  I told him to get the newest one by the Pioneer Woman, Bree Drummond.  He didn't listen.  He got the first one by her!  I had tried most the recipes from her blog in that book or things from her show.  He ended up getting the next one for a Christmas present.

One of the first recipes I tried from the most recent book, was a Twice Baked New Potatoes using red potatoes.  These are so delicious!  This recipe is a spin off of her recipe Twice Baked Potatoes found here.

I'll post a picture of the ingredients you need.

Scrub the potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil.  Bake.  I baked mine longer than the recipe because they were bigger than the ones used.  Let cool. Cut in half, scoop out potato innards leaving some in, about 1/4" or so.  Mix scooped potato with cream cheese, sour cream, chives, garlic, cheese, chives. Scoop back in potato skins.  Bake again till potatoes are browning on top, looking golden.

This is what they look like mixed up before baking.

Here's what they look like when they are done.  You can cook them longer but if they are any browner they would be considered burnt to my kids and wouldn't get eaten.  What a yummy game day appetizer.  Very filling too, can be used as a side dish.

A close up of one of these yummy, cooked potatoes!

Perfect for Superbowl Sunday!  Fast and easy to make!

What are you making for the big game this coming Sunday?

Funnies For Friday!

It's been a long week in our household.  This isn't really a normal funny I want to tell you about this week, but it's a funny story when I think about it. Everyone seems to be catching a bit of the flu bug around here. No fun!  I've been pushing vitamin c into everyone.  My first grader missed two days of school.  She's been walking around the house all wet, hair around her face, shirt drenched & water sometimes dripping from her face. I asked her what she was doing & she told me splashing water on her face.  When she was heating up and not feeling good she was at the bathroom sink cooling off!  She didn't want to lay in bed with a wet washcloth on her head!  She went to the doctor right after school Thursday.  She has a really deep ear infection.  It would not have been found sooner if I took her in any earlier.

I'm hoping this weekend my hubby will grill up something delicious!  If he does I will share it with you.  Have a great weekend!

Game Time!

Not too far off in the future is the Superbowl!  A few years ago my hubby and I spent Superbowl Sunday in Vegas. It was fun to go from one hotel/casino to another.  We did a lot of people watching; definitely way more fun than gambling itself which I don't do.  We ate some really good food, watched the fountains outside at the Billagio Hotel, walked the strip shopping.  It was nice to have adult time for the first time in a while.  Anyways,  I am thinking of using the french bread recipe to make pizza for the game.  Kids would be able to build their own, putting toppings on it that they want to eat.  Maybe some yummy dip for chips and crackers too.  I'll see what I have this weekend and post a few things.  I'm excited!

This was just on my mind and I had a brain stump as to what to write about.  I can't remember what food we made last year.  I just remember my hubby going from our home to the neighbors to watch the game.  I think we BBQ'd before the game started, not sure what.  I'll have to ask him.

What are you doing for Superbowl Sunday?? Are you watching the game, buying a new tv for it, getting out of the house to let the spouse watch in peace?

Valentine Swap Craft

I've talked about my crafts for the craft swap, but I finally got one in the mail!  I am so excited!  I absolutely love it!  Even my husband loves it and has asked where it came from.  He thinks I should make them to sell.  He says it's an inexpensive money maker! I decided it's perfect for the master bathroom.  I went to work cleaning the counter and scrubbing the sinks, so when my hubby got home from work he would be surprised!

Here it is!!

I wrote a reason I love him on it before I went to bed and this morning when I got up he had wrote me back!  It's like having a lil love letter! Almost like junior high, no make that newlyweds all over again!  I definitely got to keep this away from my little kids that love to draw!

Thanks to Wendy C. in Orange Park Florida!!

Do you belong to any craft groups that swap or trade crafts? Do you trade crafts with friends?

BBQ Chicken Dinner

I hope everyone had an awesome Holiday Monday.  My husband loves to BBQ.  I love to eat it!  Here in the Pacific Northwest we have been freezing so we haven't been outside using the grill.  My husband will, but I wont. Not in the freezing cold when it hits 21 degrees during dinner time.  Here's my indoor, use the oven to warm up the house and avoid the outdoor cold, but still enjoy some finger licking good BBQ!  This is my recipe, something I know my kids will eat!

Here we go!

BBQ Chicken Recipe
1 bag of chicken wings/drummettes, frozen
1 bottle of BBQ sauce - I like to use Sweet Baby Ray's brand
handful of brown sugar (approx 3/4 cup)
1 can pineapple, drained (optional - can be made with or without it)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place chicken in pan, sprinkle brown sugar over chicken, now is the time to add the pineapple if using, then squeeze BBQ sauce all over on top. Bake in oven. Every oven cooks differently, it will take 1+ hours to bake. Turn chicken about every half hour spooning sauce over it. When chicken is blackening on top it is done!

Whip up some corn bread too! Perfect with BBQ!

Here's a peek at our dinner plates!

All my kids gobbled this up! They were starving!  The hubby gets dinner when he gets home from work!  Ahh, the cornbread, I think I'll go have another piece before it disappears! YUM!

Funnies For Friday!

Hi,  I thought I would put my journal of funny things my kids say to use.  What's this journal you ask yourself?  Well, the beginning of the year one of my goals is to focus on the positive and kids.  I have a special journal that I write in funny things they say.  I thought this would be a great way to end the work and school week.  I think its going to be a weekly post.

The sixteen year old keeps telling his six year old sister to stop picking at her belly button or she's going to die!  I think he's just jealous that her belly button is half innie and half outie, not one or the other like his!

Its snowing! My oldest asked if we could go to the store to buy him waterproof gloves.  I told him not when its snowing and roads are slick!  His brother, 13 1/2 pipes in while waving two oven mitts, why go buy gloves when you can use mittens for free!!

No Mommy, I'm not tired, I don't want to go to bed!  Funny I found him in this position on his bed fast asleep!

Just a note these are things that my children have said recently within the last week or so.

What are some funny things your kids, kids you know or family has said lately?

French Bread

I made this French Bread recipe I found online.  The picture at the end of the post wasn't the best looking so I was really hesitant to try it.  I was told it would be absolutely delicious and better than the loaves you buy at the local grocery stores.  I was in the mood to bake something and was thinking garlic sticks to go with this lasagna I was going to cook for dinner, but I wanted to try something new and not so messy.  French Bread, mmmm, I am just drooling at the thought of it.  I must make more!  Here's a peek at what it's going to look like!

Gather up the following ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 5 - 6 cups flour

Pour water in bowl & mix yeast in. Add sugar. Let this mixture sit until foamy on top (some people say bubbly, but it reminds me of foam on top of water at the beach.) About 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in the oil, salt and flour. Add one cup of flour at a time. Mix, mix mix!  Cover with a towel and let it rise. Mine took about half hour total. One of the kids thought it was cool looking and poked it and it sunk so I let it rise some more.

When the dough is done rising, split in half, shape into two long loaves.  Make slashings on top with a knife. Once oven is preheated to 375, bake about 30 minutes or Golden Brown. I lightly greased my pan, the recipe I found did not say to do that.  Click here for the site I found the recipe on.

A peek at the inside! Yum!

The kids and I ate almost one loaf while waiting for dinner to cook!  We turned the rest of it and the other loaf into garlic bread.

For Garlic Butter, take one stick softened butter, about a teaspoon garlic powder, garlic salt will work fine, but kids wont eat the bread if it's too salty, mix it up and slather it on the bread. Bake until butter is melted and bread is browning.

Oh yum! The loaf that got cut in half length wise got eaten real fast with dinner!  These we saved for daddy's dinner when he got home from work.

Yummy, cheesy, saucy lasagna! The bread went great with this.  Quick and easy meal!

Flower Pens

Since it is halfway thru the month I am happy to report my goal for finishing my daughters quilt for her bed is going well.  I actually measured, cut and sewed the backing pieces for it.  I'm excited to get it finished.  I worked on something fun recently and want to share it.  I joined a craft swap and want to share what I made.  It was tons of fun!  I made flower pens!  Valentine's Day is coming up and who doesn't love flowers?  What's better is flower pens; they wont ever wilt...well maybe they might run out of ink! They wont smell if your allergic to flowers, but if you do want them to smell just spray perfume on them!

Here's what you'll need.

Flowers!!

Duck Tape!!

You'll also need pens, wire cutters and some scissors.

Let's get started!

Use the wire cutters to cut near the bottom of the stem where the bunch all meets together.  Rip off or cut a strip of duck tape, a little more than a foot long.  Cut it in half.  Take one strip of duck tape, a pen and a flower just like the photo above. Press the tape down and start to wrap it. Just like this next photo.

Wrap it all the way down to the base of the pen right before it angles to the point.  If the tape isn't long enough rip off another piece and connect & continue wrapping.  Repeat for as many pens you'd like.

Here's a peek at what mine turned out like.  Now go find a nice vase for them.

My vase I bought at the Dollar Tree was too big so I used this old jelly jar.

I bought the pens and flowers at the Dollar Tree.  Duck Tape came from Walmart.  You could also check Michael's or JoAnn's for supplies.  Now when done go surprise someone you love with a bouquet of flowers!

Have fun crafting!

Picking Something Out

Happy middle of the month day!  Ah, what a day!  I had a post ready to go earlier, just needed to add to it and perfect it, before publishing it.  It talked about Kiva and the loans we do. It's repayment day and my daughter loves to "pick people out"!!  She has her own account/profile as do the rest of the kids, my husband and self.  The youngest does not have one yet.  She usually helps pick out loans for mom and dad. Grandpa is going broke with paying his grandkids enough for one loan for every A they get on their report card!  Well I got a phone call and she is going to be picking out something else besides loans for other people, but also glasses for herself!!!  We talked about it on the way home from the bus stop.  She said she wants cheetah print glasses, maybe pink and tan just like a blanket she has!  The phone call sidetracked me!  I'll craft up something fun for ya tomorrow!

Craft Magnets

Hi there!  I hope you had a great weekend!

I have an inexpensive craft for you all to make. Here's what you need: glass rocks, Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, scissors, craft sponge or paint brush, magnets, pencil.  Here's a pic of what your making.

Cute huh?!

Here's what the back will look like when its done unless you use different magnets than I did.

Not the perfect looking but they were fun to make.

Directions to make.  First take the scrapbook paper and rock. Trace. Repeat for as many as you want to make.  Cut out those circles on the inside of the lines.  Taking the Mod Podge, brush it onto the flat side of rock.  Now take the cut out scrapbook paper and press against the Mod Podge onto the rock. Brush the backside of the paper with Mod Podge and lay on hard surface to dry.  When dry use super glue to stick a magnet to it.  I used strip magnets.  You can use round ones already cut or whatever you want.

I made mine with Christmas paper from my scrapbook paper stash. The idea came from an email that I get from signing up to get a recipe off of Pintrest.  I get recipes and craft ideas emailed to me daily.  Their idea was Valentines.  They wrote sayings on pastel paper like Be Mine.  Be creative and use your own idea. It could be Valentine's like theirs or Christmas like mine. Maybe some spring flowers or winter snowflakes!

Just a hint to keep it cheap or shall we say affordable, the glass rocks can be found at the Dollar Tree, scrapbook paper, super glue. I got a bag of craft sponges with handles there too.

I used the sparkle Mod Podge.  Not the best thing because you can't see the print, too much glitter in the way!  I also used the bigger rocks.

I just wanted to write about this craft I made so I can make it again someday!  Sometimes I make things and give them away and forget what I've made!

Here's one last close up look!

What kind of crafts have you made lately?

TGIF!

Hi Y'all!  It's been a long week.  Cold weather isn't helping motivate me to do anything.  I guess it's something I am out of bed, kids dressed and off to school and now home and fed.  This morning my buddy and I went to Walmart to return jeans that we bought for him.  He dislikes wearing jeans, pants or anything past his knees. He only wears pants to church.  I told him yesterday morning that if it snows he can't go out in shorts, so he let me buy him jeans.  They fit to perfect. If I washed them they would have shrunk and not fit.  The ones I bought fit great, but a little long in the legs.  He about had a fit trying them on.  I got the ones with adjustable waist band in them. Ahhh, now if only I can get him to wear them!  Oh back on track, so I am telling you this because we have a fabulous view from the parking lot to Mount Rainier when it's not too cloudy or rainy out.  Too bad there are utility lines and poles in the way!  Here's a pic I snapped looking towards the mountain.

Beautiful isn't it?  I think I need to start carrying the camera around in my purse till I get a new cell phone with an awesome camera!  I love the clouds! The whole view is stunning and relaxing!

Here's one that my husband took this past summer.

Maybe I should borrow his cell phone!  It takes better pictures than mine! Beautiful isn't it!?! This pic is my background picture on my cell.

Okay now on to other stuff!  I've joined this craft swap group thru a friend in Georgia.  I've been working on this the last few days and wanted to share a few pics of my quilt that I am working on.

These I sewed right before Christmas for a Valentine Day Theme Craft Swap.  They are being turned into...

TA DA!!!

Here's a close up!

I made the cowboy boots years ago for a queen size quilt.  These were extras; I thought they worked perfect mixed up with the hearts.  It's still being quilted so when I am done I will take pictures and post them.

Have a great weekend!  What are you doing this weekend? Going anywhere? Anything fun?

Miles Traveled

The end of this last year my gas guzzler, the family wheels, turned over 175,000 miles!  I look back to see how my family has grown, the laughs we've shared, what the struggles have been and see what the future holds for all of us.

 



We traveled miles in this car

as family to many destinations

some with hubby, mostly kids

to see the sights of home.

From Amicalola Falls Georgia

to sunny warm Arizona.

Tillamook Cheese Factory and Oregon Coast Beaches.

Finally home in the Pacific Northwest,

settled in again, where will this year take us.

 

Where will you go this year & how and what are your goals? 

 

The Lucky Pennies

My youngest is always excited to find spare change. He really likes quarters and gumball machines!  One day when I found a few pennies I told him to pick them up and he would have a lucky day. He picked up the money and told me he was going to have three lucky days since there were three pennies!  Anyways I started this cup of change last month.  Whatever I find in the laundry, grocery shopping etc...it all goes in the cup!

This is what the cup looks like!

Kind of sneaky with all the stuff in there too!  I got almost ten bucks in it!  I told my hubby about my hopes for this money cup.  He said it can be an emergency gas tank fund.  I told him vacation or maybe emergency preparedness fund money.  I really want it to be vacation money!   If the money isn't enough to go out of state on an actual vacation for spring break we'll at least be able to have a "stay cation" and do something fun.


Do you have a money cup? Swearing jar? Cup fund of some type?   What do you do with the change you find when out and about in the community?  Please comment, I would love to hear from you.

BBQ

My husband loves to BBQ.  He cooks up some pretty good stuff.  Sometimes.  Sunday I came home from church to BBQ hot dogs for the munchkins with pasta shells and big shrimp for us.  He BBQ'd on Christmas Day, New Years Eve and Day.  He loves his grill probably more than he loves me, on the days he gets to use it!

 

Shrimp cooking.  Bought from The Butcher Boys Shop.

 

 Yum yum!!!  Sunday Shrimp.

Getting the meat ready to grill.

 

 

Yum Yum again! He bought this a few weeks ago and has been dying to cook it.  He got tips of how to marinade the meat from his lil bro Mike.  Next time he is going to read his cookbook on how to make those bones you see into their own tasty dish of ribs!

 



One more pic of steak and lobster cooking on the grill.  New Year's Eve dinner.  I remember this because I had to run teenagers to a dance and by the time I got back the steak was, um, over cooked. Well done is a good way to put it!

 

 

 

So there it is! My hubby's recent BBQ creations!  He'll be so happy I posted about his food!  Maybe he'll cook more often.  Pics are courtesy of his cell phone done by him.



 
What do you like to BBQ? Do you leave it to the spouse or do it yourself?

The Pink Scarf

This last summer I bought a bunch of yarn marked clearance, $1, $1.50 & $2. YES! This is what I turned the pink into. 

I am not big on crocheting. I wish I could be, but I can't do anything that is not a straight line.  A granny square, is unfortunately not a straight line!  I really wanted to make something useful out of it. I searched YouTube videos to find this simple pattern showing step by step how to make it.  It's easy and simple just like the video says! Just go to YouTube and type in easy or beginners crochet scarf and this should come up.  I made this in December and can't remember the name of the lady, might be Tracey.  I used the whole skein of yarn!  It's an extra long scarf for staying warm on those cold days!

The above picture is the scarf folded in half and the ends looped thru the bend part where it halfs.

Here's a close up of the crochet.  I hope you like it.

What do you like to crochet? Are you a crochet geek?