Jun 30, 2009

Challenging Myself.... and I need your help!

It's no secret that times are getting tough. Yeah... Money is getting tight. Jobs are getting scarce. And groceries are getting CRAZY-Expensive!

Cooking for 6 kids... 4 of whom are bottom-less-pit-teenagers is killing my grocery budget!
They are home for the summer, which makes it even worse!

I gotta do something to get my grocery budget under control...
This week, I plan on cooking meals from the food I already have in my house. I have a pretty well-stocked freezer, my pantry is stocked. Lets see how it goes...
I'm thinkin I'll have to buy milk.. Thats all I plan to buy.

Cross your fingers!

Be back soon with today's meal-plan.

How bout you?
What are you doing to help stretch your food dollars?
Share with me!
I need the help!




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Jun 28, 2009

Extreme Lemon Cake.


MmmmMMMmm Lemon.
Dont'cha just love lemon?
I do!

I posted a wonderful recipe on my cooking site
"Craving Comfort"
Serious Lemon-Lovers ONLY!
Check it out!
Dana's Extreme Lemon Cake
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Jun 27, 2009

The Magic is Gone!

A mother's kiss...
Is there anything better?

The power of my kiss is one of the things I love about being a mother.
My kiss has healed, or at least greatly improved, many skinned knees, bee stings, smashed fingers, bumped heads, broken arms, infected ears, stitched-up foreheads, fat lips, and countless other boo boos.

But I am becoming more aware everyday that my kiss is losing its magical powers.
As my children grow older, my kiss can't "fix it" anymore.

For example, Worker #1 (17) called me today from work.
He is working for his third year with his uncle at the Big University as an intern and lives with him for the summer.

He was so upset he could barely talk...
"Um... Mom", he said in a shaky voice that caused my heart to jump into my throat with anxiety.
"I wanna come home" his voice cracked and I could tell he was holding back full-blown sobs.
"Honey?!? Whats the matter?" I asked as I held my breath waiting for his response.
My mind was racing... Had he been in an accident? Has someone done something to him?
Is he hurt? Is he sick?
What was wrong???

The three seconds it took for him to compose himself enough to reply seemed like hours.
"I just cut some guy's thumb off." He sounded so upset, so remorseful, so lost, he needed me.
It was NOT his fault, but his actions did, in fact, cut off someone's thumb.

This child is tenderhearted.
He wouldn't hurt a fly.
And he just hurt a coworker. Badly.
I pressed for information and did my best to comfort him.

All I wanted to do was wrap him in my arms, kiss him on the head and reassure him that everything was gonna be alright.
But he was an 1 1/2 hours away.
He was at work.
There was nothing I, as his Mom, could do.
He was on his own.
"I gotta go.... The Ambulance is here..." and he hung up.

I sat there, my heart breaking for my son.
I knew how bad he felt.
I knew how helpless he felt.

I knew there was NOTHING I could do to make it better.
Not even my kiss could help this time....

I would like to go on record as saying:
I am NOT impressed with this parenting phase!
*sniff*

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Jun 25, 2009

testing

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Morphing....

As you can see...
Things are changing...
Hang onto your hats and enjoy the ride!
The dust will settle soon...
The sites will load faster and all three will be connected.
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Jun 22, 2009

Reasons He's the Man-of-My-Dreams Birthday Edition!

Today is the Man-of-My-Dreams' birthday!
He is working out of state so we won't get to be together.

The best thing I can do without actually being with him is to proclaim my sappy, never-ending, exciting, deep, hot-n-sweaty, giddy, passionate, comfortable, tingly, love for him...
...and making all the other ladies green with envy because he's mine.... ALL MINE!! doesn't hurt either! (insert evil laugh here).

Don't tell anyone...
But today he is
39 years old!

To commemorate this milestone in my beloved's life, I'll share

39 reasons he's the Man-of-My-Dreams!
  1. He is a wonderful father!
  2. His unwavering dedication and faithfulness.
  3. He schmooshes the BIG bugs.
  4. He can fix anything that's broken.
  5. He is the world's best taste-tester for my recipes and never complains when they are a BIG flop.
  6. The way he always covers me up in the middle of the night after I kick off the covers.
  7. He has no problem pitching in and doing laundry or dishes when I am a total slacker.
  8. He never makes me feel bad for being a total slacker.
  9. The way he shows me total respect and teaches our children to do the same.
  10. He is a wonderful step-father.
  11. The way he sweetly rubs me when I snore instead of kicking my butt out of bed.
  12. The way he makes me feel like a woman.
  13. The way he makes me feel like a lady.
  14. When he notices a stray hair growing in a place it should NOT be, he tells me there's a hair from Otis the Boston Terrier on me so I can get rid of it. And he actually acts like he believes that's all it was!
  15. His strong work ethic.
  16. His wrists.... ooh, his wrists... (swoon)
  17. He humors me and doesn't throw too large of a fit when I come home with a new critter.
  18. His kisses.
  19. He backs me up when I'm disciplining the boys.
  20. He reads my silly blog and doesn't tell me when I make no sense.
  21. He supports my dreams, even when they are crazy.
  22. He tells me I'm beautiful.
  23. He never ends a conversation without telling me he loves me.
  24. He pretends not to notice when I pass gas. (Not that I EVER do!)
  25. The way it feels when he wraps his strong arms around me.
  26. His strong arms.
  27. His willingness to try new things.
  28. The fact that he would rather spend a weekend with the family instead of out with the guys.
  29. He doesn't laugh at me when I cry like a baby at movies and sad songs.
  30. His cleft chin.
  31. His thick Texas accent.
  32. The way he fills out those Wranglers... Oh my!
  33. The way his hard-as-nails shell crumbles when he sees his little girl.
  34. He moves the heavy stuff.
  35. The twinkle in his eye when he's being naughty.
  36. The way he talks about our future and makes me feel secure in the knowledge that he is excited about spending it with me.
  37. His smell.
  38. The way he acts like my lumpy, bumpy, sagging-from-birthing-all-them-babies body is still sexy.
  39. Everything.
Happy Birthday, baby!
I love you and am proud to call you my husband!



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Jun 16, 2009

Could They Be Right?

I was driving the other day with 4 teenagers in the truck.
As we made our way along the country road, we all noticed something furry and obviously dead on the side of the road.
"What was THAT?" I asked.
They all chimed in and tried to figure out what poor animal was the victim of a moving vehicle.

It dawned on me.
We were all talking while we drove.
We were all listening to music.
We were enjoying ourselves.
But each of us noticed and tried to figure out what was dead on the side of the road.

So, I asked them...
"How is it we can miss a turn-off or a certain street we are actively searching for, but we all notice roadkill?"

The discussion continued.
The teens were all in agreement that people, in general, notice disturbing things.
People seem to be drawn to them.
They may not want to, but they can't help but look.

This lead to talking about TV shows, the news, and the internet.
The most popular shows, games and websites always seem to be the ones full of conflict and with some sort of shock value.

I told them that I was sure someone somewhere had done a sociology study on why it seems to be human nature to be drawn to what I would consider disturbing things.

Ever hear the old saying.... "It's like a train-wreck...."? Ya just gotta look?
It's been a known fact for a long time, or so they say.

We continued talking and sharing our views on what was acceptable or not when one of the boys chimed in.

"Mom," he said, "You put a lot of thought and time into your web site. You work on recipes and try to find humor in everyday things. You have a lot of faithful readers. But I bet one with roadkill would have 10 times the hits."

No..... I don't think so. Sure, maybe in the beginning it would get hits because it would be new, but not everyday readers.

I mean... roadkill? It's something that is a unfortunate part of life.
We all see it when we drive.
Why on Earth would anyone want to see more?

When we got home they did a little research.
They came to me with a proposal.

They launched a site today called www.dailyroadkill.com.
They will take pictures of what they see on the side of the road.
No stories.
No humor.
Just pictures.
They will run it for the summer.
And September 1st, we will evaluate the traffic compared to my sites.

Who knew we'd have our very own sociology study over the summer?

They are confident that their opinions about human nature will be proven correct.

I, on the other hand, think people are better than that!
Why would anyone waste their time looking at something they would prefer NOT to see in the first place?

This post is the only time I will mention www.dailyroadkill.com.
It's up to them.
And it is certainly NOT my kinda site!

This should be an an interesting summer....

I'll report back in September.

Thoughts?






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Jun 14, 2009

Yawn...

There are critters passed out all over the house.

Guss the Pug Puppy is snoring on the back of the couch.


Otis has melted into his dog bed.

Why are my usually hyper-spastic freaky dogs so sluggish?

Do we have a gas leak?

Did I get sick of tripping over the little stinkers and slip em some of The Little-Foreman-in-Pinks Benadryl?

Maybe these pictures were taken late at night?

Nope....



The boys had their first trip to the beach!
From the look of things...
There will be many more!
They had a BLAST!




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Jun 11, 2009

Funky Chicken and Sesame Noodles

I LOVE this chicken.
I've made this more times than I can count.

This dish is to die for!
Make it today and watch your family inhale it!

It's uber Asian-comfort food.

Funky Chicken and Sesame Noodles
Complete recipe can be found on my food blog HERE




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Jun 10, 2009

I want these!! and Thumbs are Important!

Look at these super-cute cow silicone oven mitts!
I want some!
I've told you about my love of aprons.
I love oven mitts too!
I have oven mitts in all shapes and sizes.

But these cow ones are just too cute!

One thing about oven mitts...
You really need a thumb to work them properly.

Did I ever tell you about the time I almost lost my left thumb?
No?
Well, it's true. I almost lost my left thumb when I was 17 years old.

Flashback: 20 years ago.
It was spring break, and my BFF Marlene and I were cruising up and down the seawall in Galveston, TX.

We were enjoying the fresh sea air,
watching all the cute boys who swarmed Galveston Island for their vacation.

Big, thumping, booming car radios were BIG at the time.
Everyone who was anyone had a BOOMING sound system in their vehicle.
The sound systems usually cost more than the bucket of bolts they were installed in!

As we made our third lap along the seawall, we felt the bass behind us.
Yep... it was so loud that you didn't actually hear it - you felt it!
We immediately checked the rearview mirror.
That's when we saw them.
Inside a slammed-low-to-the-ground silver pickup truck with green spatter-paint graphics all over it,
there were two really, REALLY cute boys!
Marlene stuck her head out the passenger window and yelled "Hello"!
They motioned for us to pull over.

Of course, being stupid 17 year old girls, we did.
They ran up to my little Suzuki Swift and asked us if we wanted to ride with them.
Marlene jumped out of the car...
I was a little more hesitant....
"What if they were murderers?"
"What would our parents think if they knew we got into a car with out-of-town boys who may or may not have the intentions of chopping us up into stew meat and dumping us into a ditch?"

The driver brought the moonroof out of his truck and asked if he could leave it in my car while we rode around.
My mind was instantly put at ease....
If they were gonna kill us, they wouldn't leave their moonroof in my car, right?!?

We were off.
They were not only cute, but they were really nice too!
We cruised for a few hours and talked, getting to know each other.
We were having the BEST time!
Cruising with two super-cute new boys in an incredibly cool truck with the loudest radio on the island!

We eventually stopped at a little store, and the guys ran in to grab some drinks and snacks.
This gave Marlene and I enough time to giggle and make claims to the boy that would be "ours".
Mine was Micky, the cute driver. Hers was John. We were both happy with our selections.

Soon the boys returned to the truck and squeezed in.
It was a very tight fit, 4 of us in the front bench seat of a truck, but we squeezed together.
My arm was over the back of the seat allowing Micky to get in.

When he slammed the truck door, it shut on my thumb.
OUCH!!! I screamed in my mind, but didn't say a word out loud.

I tried to wiggle my throbbing-smooshed thumb free from door.
It wouldn't budge.
It hurt SO badly! But I sat silent.
I didn't want Micky to feel bad!
I didn't want him to know he hurt me.

We drove around for about 15 minutes.
There was loud music.
There was laughter.
There was flirting.
Finally, I could take it no more....

"My thumb is in the door." I quietly said.
No one heard me over the laughter and thumping bass in the truck.

I elbowed Marlene in the ribs....
"My thumb is in the door." I said again.
"What?" she asked.
"My thumb is in the door." I calmly repeated.
"Your What is in the What?" She screamed to be heard over the music.

"My thumb is in the door." I repeated.
"No, it isn't!" she laughed.

No matter how badly I wanted to avoid it, I had to tell Micky.
I leaned over and whispered into his ear....
"My thumb is in the door." I whispered.

He looked at me.
Then he turned to look in the door.
Thats when he noticed my bloody hand with it's thumb disappearing into the door frame.

Brakes squealed, Marlene screamed, Micky almost died from guilt.
T-shirts were ripped off to bandage my smashed thumb.
8 million apologies were said.

It was exactly the scene I tried so desperately to avoid.

The moral of the story?

Teach your children to speak up!
It DOES matter!

If I wouldn't have finally confessed my situation,
I would NOT be able to use an oven mitt properly today!




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Jun 9, 2009

Feeling Inspired

I'm feeling incredibly creative and inspired today.

I have amazingly interesting and informative posts ready to type to you.

I have a absolutely mouth-watering Sesame Noodle and Funky Asian Chicken recipe to share.

I have fabulously adorable video of Otis the Boston Terrier playing with Guss the Pug Puppy.

I plan to introduce you to our newest critter "Cowboy".

I am gonna tell you about child number 6 who moved in this week. (it's a girl!!)

I am gonna cry to you about the new big fat BLACK hair I found sticking it's ugly head out of my NECK this morning.

I'm gonna whine because Worker #1 moved out for the summer to work and he calls his girlfriend and NOT me everyday!!!

I'm gonna post pictures of my new bathroom paint and ask for your thoughts.

I'm gonna tell you about the time I almost lost my whole thumb all because I didn't want to hurt a cute boy's feelings.

I'm gonna tell you about my years in various psychiatric hospitals.

I am gonna list all 20+ of my bones that have been broken and tell ya how each happened.

EXCITING stuff people!!!

But, alas....
My wireless modem died last night!
I ordered a new one and it'll be here Thursday.

I am, at this very moment, sitting in McDonald's drive-thru sucking up their precious Wi-Fi to get this message out to you.

I can't promise I'll allow myself to eat any more perfectly brown and crispy fries so I can post again before Thursday...
My jeans can't take anymore!!

2 more days....
2 more loooong days....
Pray for me....
Or send cheesecake!





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Jun 7, 2009

FLASHBACK, Tuna-Noodle Casserole

Let's travel back in time...
Who didn't experience the warm goodness of homemade tuna noodle casserole when they were a child?
Very few of you, I bet!

It's not gourmet.
It's not fancy.
It IS good old-fashioned comfort on a plate!

Complete recipe can be found HERE




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Jun 4, 2009

Who Needs Toys?

When you have Guss the Rubber-Faced Pug Puppy?









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Jun 3, 2009

Cheap Food I'd Eat, Even if I Wasn't Broke. (Ramen Fried "Rice")

Being the Homesteading Housewife, I lecture and preach about cooking from scratch.
I go on and on about the evils of processed, pre-made "convenience" foods.

Well...
I have a confession to make...

I love Ramen noodles.
There, I said it.

I have decided to try to re-make these beloved sodium-laden noodles into new dishes.

Tonight I made a wonderful meal!
It tastes great!
and is Cheap cheap cheap!
Tastes just like fried rice, but is ready in a fraction of the time!

Here goes....


Ramen Fried "Rice"
Trust me!
Continue to full recipe...




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Jun 1, 2009

Call the Press!! Medical Breakthrough in My Kitchen!!

Having a medical background, I am not one to take other peoples' medical issues lightly.

Something that I may find merely an occasional annoyance may be someone's daily torture.

For example...
Seeing someone at the pool with a third nipple may cause some people to point and laugh.
Not me! I feel for the third-nipple-haver,
I wish I could help them,
I wish I could take away all the unwanted and un-kind stares from strangers.
I wish I could bring them peace.
I would want to be their friend.

What about those poor souls who are cursed with excessive ear wax production?
They endure years of "taters in yer ears" jokes.
Kids pick on them because excessive ear wax equals cooties to school-aged children.
I just wanna scoop them up in a warm hug, dry their tears and offer them a Q-Tip.

Or...
Some people may find the topic of constipation laugh-worthy.
I, for one, know it is no laughing matter!

As a matter of fact, I have found the cure for constipation!
Thats right!! I said CURE!

I have the cure for any case of constipation right here in my little old farm house.
The cure can be found in my kitchen!
I have observed its magical powers for almost 7 years.

I have decided to share this knowledge with everyone out in Internet-Land.
Ready?

Come clean my kitchen!

You read it right.
Come clean my kitchen and even the most difficult clogs will quickly become... well... unclogged!

It never fails.
Every time I ask one of my young-men-folk to clean the kitchen, within 5 minutes they are in the restroom!
I'm not talking about a quick trip either!
They are in there for a loooong cleansing time!

Here is what I am offering...
We can work out a deal...
Bring me your clogged bowels...
I'll bring you speedy relief and get a clean kitchen to boot!

And don't worry...
I won't snicker or giggle...
I just might hug you!

Deal?






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