Talking Turkey

So when it comes to Thanksgiving where do you stand?  Are you planning a feast?  Or planning major shopping?

Even though I enjoy Christmas, and I really enjoy watching all the Hallmark Channel movies, I like the gift-free gratitude-filled -ness that is Thanksgiving.

It's also fun to try new dishes.  Especially since I have lots of opportunities to create new dishes with our Tastefully Simple products and I have lots of hosts who love to share awesome recipes with me! I'm a lucky cooker as the kids used to say when they were little.

Recently my host Annette, who is an awesome cook, made the yummiest dressing. 
If you are looking for a way to wow this Thanksgiving I must recommend it.

Here is the recipe from our website:

Creamy Wild Rice Stuffing
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef

Ingredients
Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix
5 cups hot water
2 tsp. Garlic Garlic™
2 - 3 Tbsp. Onion Onion™
6 - 8 slices diced bacon
4 stalks diced celery
14 oz. unseasoned breadcubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients; simmer, covered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauté bacon in large skillet until browned; add celery. Cook until celery is tender. Toss bread cubes in large bowl with bacon mixture and cranberries. Add prepared soup, season to taste with salt and pepper; mix well. Place dressing in greased 9 x 13 baking dish; cover with foil. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 10-12 servings.

Set the DVR!

Looking for a family movie night idea?  On the Hallmark Channel this Friday night the movie Pete's Christmas .  Pete in the movie is the same actor who plays Greg Hefley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kids movies. 

So set the DVR and get out the popcorn for a family movie night, and bonus, it's one that no one in the house can say, "I already saw this."

 

Here is a yummy snack you can make to enjoy while watching the movie!

 

S'mores Snacks
Submitted by Kara Bohack (NY)

Ingredients
Twisty Grahams™
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. water
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 Tbsp. marshmallow crème
6 Tbsp. water

Directions
Combine sugar and water in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds or until boiling; stir until sugar is dissolved. CAUTION: IT WILL BE VERY HOT. Immediately add chocolate chips; stir until melted. Blend in marshmallow crème. If a thinner glaze is desired, add hot water, a teaspoonful at a time. Lay Twisty Grahams™™™ out in a single layer on waxed paper lined tray. Drizzle glaze over Twisty Grahams™™™. Let cool completely. Store in sealed container. Makes 8 servings.

It's the middle of July and I feel like Summer is Over

I'm feeling like Fall is right around the corner. This has nothing to do with the current weather. I'm feeling like Fall for several reasons.

1. Because March this year seemed like June--and that was weather related--
2. Football practice has started--we all know Football rhymes with Fall.
3. Tastefully simple's fall product unveiling is just around the corner! National Conference always makes me feel Fallish.

Time sure flies, I hope to get a chance sometime soon to smell the roses.

Friday, Friday.

I have a migraine and no time to sit in a dark room. There is stuff on every surface in the house. Do you live with people who clutter counters? It drives me nutty.  I'd take a pic and share it, but I don't want to have it out there mocking me for Internet eternity.

You may be thinking, Victoria isn't The Man currently unemployed?  Surely with The Man home, the two of you have the place well organized.  Pfft. He is the worst offender. I have come to the conclusion that there may very well be two types of people in the world. People who like flat surfaces cleaned off and people who like stuff on top of all flat household surfaces--especially counter tops. So sooner he finds employment, sooner I have less counter-clutter stress. 

As I said above, I have a brutal headache, and perhaps that is 10% of the reason The Man is in The Doghouse.  The rest is all him.  Bah. Grumble, Swear Words. Plus we got snow.  Double Bah. 

Okay enough of that, I'm building a bridge, I'm getting over it.  On to some food talk.

 But before that, are you a member of Swagbucks?  You use their search engine and you collection points and redeem the points for gift cards and whatnot.  I joined about 3 wks ago and already have over 700 points. 450 points can get you a $5 gift card, so as you can see you can quickly rack them up. I like to save loyalty points for Christmas time shopping. 

Want to join?  You can click below and if you join today you get 140 points for signing up! Such a deal.




Today I made a product from the New Spring/Summer Line from Tastefully Simple . It is a Strawberry Buckle cake called Strawberry Swirl Buckle Cake Mix.  All you need to make it is 3/4 cup water and 3 tablespoons melted butter.  We've had buckle cakes in the past and I seem to recall that they called for more butter, so it is nice that this time around it takes just a wee bit of butter for an amazing cake.  For your homework today, research what the heck is buckle cake.

Now I am signing off as I am going to try and squeeze in 1 hour of quiet dark time before Anna and I have to head over to Glen Oaks School for Mother/Daughter night.  We will be making Jewelry. 

Next blog I'll be sharing a very simple Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup.

The little things

Sometimes it is the little things. The little things that you can scribble down in your gratitude journal.  The little moments you just want to box up and put on a shelf and open up a grey day down the road.

In the laughter department, here is something that just makes me laugh and laugh--in my head.  I really should correct the kids on this; however, I don't. For no reason, Anna and the B Man think that the word for nipples is nibbles.  This comes upfor example when one of the kids wonders why boy have nibbles since they don't need them.  I mean nipples.  Kids, as we all know, say the funniest things.

In the awesome deals department, Jewel had special coupons in the paper today that you can use to double your coupons.  Double Coupons!  It never happens at Jewel. This is huge.  The question now is, what should I use the special coupons for?  Chocolate or Prego Spaghetti Sauce?  *Sigh*  it's going to have to be the Prego.

In the TGIM department, that would be Thank God Its Monday, The Man has an appointment with an outplacement firm.  Wahoo!  Hopefully this will help him to uncover the next phase of his career.  I have been giving him all kinds of motivation advice and goal setting books to no avail. I'll bet if the outplacement firm tells him the same stuff, then he will try it.  Men.

In my work department, I'm wrapping up a good January sales and parties-wise.  This is really good because January can set the pace for the year.  If you don't have sales in January, it's much harder to reach your sales goals the next month.

And lastly in the yummy department, I've discovered a new breakfast:

Take 2 corn torillas, warm them in the toaster oven for 4 mintues.
spread liberally with Peanut Butter. We have Smart Balance Creamy Peanut Butter on hand because it is on sale this week, plus there are coupons for it as well.  Just click the link above this and you can get some coupons as well.

And top it off by spreading on the Tripleberry Fruit Spread!  It's delish and much more filling and lasting than when I have oatmeal.  Oatmeal doesn't stick with me. I'm hungry in about 1 hour if I have Oatmeal for breakfast.  Weird, right?

Frugal and Green

I was reading the blog Busy-at-Home and she did a review and is doing a giveaway for a great product that is all the things I love:
1. Locally made in the USA by a working at home woman! (and she is from Hoffman Estates, IL!)
2. Frugal,the wool dryer balls last for years and helps not only get rid of the dreaded curse of static cling--but it also reduces your dryer dry time! Thus saving you $$ on your electric/gas bill and reducing energy consumption.
3. Its all natural! the balls are made from wool sheared off sheep. A renewable resource!

So click below to check out the review of this product and enter her giveaway. You could win some nice woolen balls. *insert giggle here*

Maple Hill Wool Dryer Balls: Our Review and Give Away!!! @MapleHillDryer

Two weeks from tomorrow, I'll be at the only thing I look forward to in the dreadful month of Feburary.  Tastefully Simple On Tour!  This is where we get to see other consultants we haven't seen in ages, get great training to help increase our income and the most fun thing of all--we get to try the new line of Spring/Summer Products!  I can't wait!  I love the Spring/Summer unveilings, it makes me start getting so excited for Spring and Summer.  Remember when it used to be sunny outside and you could have a nice salad with chicken kabobs off the grill.  Ahhh yes.  And frosty drinks..

2012 Giving a Dream a Deadline--That makes it a Goall

Do you do resolutions?  I like the blank slate of possibilities that a New Year brings.  I have found that resolutions dont' seem to work very well for me.  For me, I like a Vision Board to show what I want more of in the coming year.  Now writing that reminds me that I don't have a Vision Board.

Note to Self: Do a Vision Board. 

What is a Vision Board?  Well it can be anything you want that is a visual representation of your goals.  For me it is a 12x12 collage with labels showing what I want to focus on in the coming year.  It encompasses Family, Business and Personal Goals.

This year I've got a big big goal to reach with my business.  The goal is a promotion to Team Mentor.  I've been 'trying' to reach that goal for several years..without success--and that I believe is because it's been a goal w/o a focus. So this is the year!  My team and I are moving up!  We will have fun and much success.  I mean really, when you sell great food, everyone is always happy to see you.

Say, Have You Seen My Christmas Spirit?

How many days is it now?  Christmas is two weeks from Saturday!   I am completely unprepared.  As I wrote in a previous post A Preowned Christmas , my plan for this Holiday Season was to purchase items that were made from repurposed items, bake some gifts, and check out ebay and resale shops for great deals on new to me stuff.  Great idea, right?  Turns out it's a bit harder than I imagined, and really if I want to do Christmas that way, I should have started looking for presents back in oh say, June. 

Maybe it is the lack of shopping, and my skipping of Black Friday that has stymied my Christmas Spirit.  Maybe it is because the weather has been 'too' warm for December (but great weather for running!).  Maybe it is because I have been busy doing craft fairs, ladies nights and open houses selling Tastefully Simple and this has cut down on my Lifetime Holiday Movie watching.  I imagine you are thinking what I am thinking: D, All of the Above.   Yep, that sounds about right.

 Of course the big Scrooge event of December first did not help at all.  That is the day that my husband's corporate job was lost in end of the year downsizing.  He is very positive about the future, but I have been freaking out.  Given that it has been a week, I've decided the time to freak out needs to end. Time to build a bridge and get over it. We've got some things going for us. First, I'm my own boss, so I already had a talk and requested extra hours from myself . Secondly, I can take advantage of health insurance offered through Tastefully Simple.  Lastly, the kids only want three things each for Christmas, which is very doable, and I was quite relieved that no one is looking for a new gaming system.

That settles it, we will decorate the tree this weekend, make some Christmas cookies and watch Christmas Vacation, a surefire recipe for Christmas spirit finding.

Grocery Shopping Woes

I need to go grocery shopping, not the grab a few things kind, but the overflowing cart kind. A shoebox stands in the way of me shoppping.  Why you ask?  Well the shoebox is full of all my coupons which need to be gone through and organized and I need to match up the coupons with the deals. I can't go to the store and buy a few items knowing that in the shoebox is a coupon for say 50 cents off.  I just can't!

And then there is the Thanksgiving factor! When can I get 'the best' deal on a Turkey?  That time is not here yet.  But it is coming, I know it! I love a yummy turkey dinner, so I'd like to plan my shopping to allow for purchasing two turkeys at rock bottom prices.  And then I've been thumbing through the beautiful chock-full-of-awesomeness that is the Food Network Thanksgiving issue.  So many sides and so little time!

This leads me to rant-like statement.  You know what I don't get?  Meat in stuffing.  Why put sausage (for example) in stuffing?  It's a side dish.  Side dishes should be meat-free--only exception being the addition of some bacon.  Bacon is always welcome.

Lastly I have one major wrinkle to consider in this weeks shopping, and that is that the microwave has gone kaput.  Poorly played Kenmore Microwave.   Just when it's your time to shine as we make our way through the whirlwind that is holiday cooking, you go and kick the bucket! 

Quick Recipe
We had a couple uncarved decorative pumpkins so today I cut the top off one and Anna scooped out the guts and we made a batch of late-season Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Totally Tastefully Simple
1 batch of washed pumpkin seeds
2 tbsps of  Our Roasted Garlic Infused Oil
a sprinkling of our Seasoned Salt

Mix the first 2 ingredients in a small bowl then take a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and spread out the pumpkin seeds.  Sprinkle on our Seasoned Salt and roast in an oven for about 15 minutes at 425.  The seeds are done when they are golden brown and a little crunchy.  Watch time, do not let them overcook because they are so much better before they are burnt. :-D

How's Your Holiday Shopping going? Of Grandmas and Applesauce

But before I chat about shopping, I would like to share a picture from my recent trip to see my Grandma in Youngstown, OH.  If we are friends on facebook or you are a subscriber to my Gabby Gourmet Newsletter then you have probably seen my 2011 Four Generations picture, so please bear with me.

Thinking about this picture showing 4 generations of women in my family, I have two thoughts.  The first is, I really should have done something with my hair. 

The second is that I am reminded of late summer 2004.  Why then you ask?  Back then my mother organized a little party for my parents wedding anniversary and at that time Anna was an infant, and we have another one of these pictures. A casual picture outside the restaurant where the Wedding Anniversary party was held.

The day before the party, other pictures had been taken as well. My mother declared that  for her wedding anniversary she wanted a family portrait and scheduled a photo shoot. My mom doesn't frequently make requests, so obviously it was important to her.  During the shoot, I remember several unruly toddlers on the scene. Oh yes, they would be my boys. I also recall that Anna was a couple months old and I didn't have any non-maternity clothes that fit.  Icing on the cake of the ill-fated family photo was that my brother Karl wasn't able to come in town to be part of the picture. 

Now here we are 7 years later, and I realize,  I've never seen the family photo shoot pictures.  Since they have never seen the light of day, hanging over the mantle at my parent's home, I can only assume they much be terrible pictures.
**********
How is your holiday shopping going?  According to a news report I glanced at, most shopping is done during November.  Last week I was at a large shopping event in Evergreen Park held to benefit Christmas 4 Kids .  As you know, I'm commited to a preowned Christmas, so I stayed at my table and shared the Tastefully Simple with everyone who stopped by and avoided shopping myself.  Well, except for one purchase, and I think you'll be with me on this.

Have you ever heard of Chicago's Finest Applesauce?  It's made by Officer Jim Mullen, he was injured in the line of duty and paralyzed.  Being an amazing entrepreneur, and creator of one most awesome applesauce, he is the owner of Mullen Foods.  His's very enthusiastic marketing director was at the event sharing samples of the all-natural applesauce.  One little spoonful and I knew I had a grab and jar and do some kitchen experimenting. 

Now the Man-of-the-house got ahold of my jar and helped himself so when I made the recipe below I had about 1/2 a jar left.  So we know it is acceptable to even the pickiest of palates.  If you want to try some for yourself, you can check out the retail locations that carry Chicago's Finest Applesauce on the website for Mullen Foods.

Baked Butternut Applesauced Squash

1/2 a jar of Chicago's Finest Applesauce
1 med to large butternut squash peeled and diced, feel free to make the chunks the size you like.
1/2 a teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-2tbsp Tastefully Simple Caramel Cinnamon Sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, my oven runs cooler, so if your oven runs hot, try cooking at 375.
Spray 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan with Pam.
Mix the first 3 ingredients right in the pan and then bake for 15 minutes.
Take out the pan remix, enjoy the delicious smells wafting in your kitchen, sprinkle the caramel cinnamon sprinkles on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the squash is tender.

Serve with a nice pork chop.

Heading Out Of Town

Happy Halloween, almost.  Well I think we can all agree that most of the festivities for Halloween will be had this weekend, so let me say Happy Halloween! 

Above is a Jack O Lantern Tastefully Simple style.  It is a cheeseball rolled in crushed doritoes with a Blue Aztec Corn chips face and the stem of a green pepper for the pumpkin stem. 

I am getting ready to head out of town with Ms. Anna to visit my grandma.  We are leaving today, just her and I, and heading over the river and through the woods all the way to Youngstown, Ohio.  Looks like we will have good weather and I've taken a nap.  Plus the Tollway in Ohio upgraded to Starbucks so I see an evening latte in my future. 

The boys will be here this weekend and I am hoping the homework will get done any maybe when we get back Sunday night there won't be a pile of dishes.  I have so many things I feel I should be trying to do before we leave in a bit that it's very hard to put together a nice blog post.  Yet here I am!  I'm clinging to my lappy as in about an hour I will be heading out and w/o any of the technology--except a very basic cell phone for over 48 hours.  *sigh*  how will I survive. :-D

Driving Driving Driving

You've Been Ghosted!

After  a wonderfully motivating and inspiring* Success Event last night, I came home to find this note at our front door accompanied with a treat bag of candy and a print out of a Ghost saying Boo.

You've Been Ghosted!
(abridged version because I don't feel like retyping the whole thing) 
Keep Ghosting It Forward!

"The Phantom ghost has come around
To leave you goodies I see you have found.
If you do not wish a curse to fall
Continue this greeting, this ghostly call.

First, post this ghost where it can be seen
On a door or window until Halloween.
This will keep ghosts from visiting again.

Make 3 treats, 3 ghost, 3 notes --just like this.
Take them to 3 neighbors who may have been missed.
Don't let them see you, be sneaky, no doubt.

Happy Halloween!  Keep Ghosting it Forward to 3 people within 1 day!" 

Click here to get the details to start ghosting in your haunted hood!

Now when it comes to anything of a chain-letter nature, for example, those emails that promise money to show up magically if you forward said email to 10 people in 10 minutes; I can't delete or throw those away fast enough.  In this case, however, I'm going to go ahead and participate.  Why? Cause my little half-demon kids were so tickled to get ghosted and are excited about the mystery of it all.  Most of my time these days is spent, cleaning up, dropping off, and politely asking children to take showers*and I am parched for a dose of fun.  So I am grabbing on to this chance to have some good old-fashioned family fun, call me the Clark Griswold of Halloween.

*The Internet needs a shorthand for when someone is being tongue in cheek.  should we start putting TIC after wording such as we all tend to do with LOL?  IMO (in my opinion) I think we should.

Once in a while, it's good to be selfish.

Selling Tastefully Simple is like farming.  Our busiest times of year are spring and fall. Now that  October has arrived with a glorious not-a-cloud-in-the-sky Sunday, a quick review of my schedule shows that I am booked up every Sunday into December. Therefore, today I am being selfish and calling this day:  All about Me Day. 

I'm wearing my favorite PJ bottoms.  I've got a pile of coupon inserts from today's Chicago Tribune and my scissors handy, the most current Women's Day magazine, and I rented the first DVD in the Dexter TV series from Blockbuster. (only 49 cents to rent on Sundays).  Later I am going to take some time and read. 

Right now I am reading The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.  It's a bit of a departure from my typical to be read (TBR) pile of Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy reading, but I was wandering a used book store and it put me in a nostalgic mood.

 As part of my Christmas Challenge, I visited Bookies Paperbacks over in Beverly to check out their kids books selections.  Did I buy any kids books?   No, I bought two books for myself.  In any case, let me share with you what I liked about Bookies. First, Bookies is filled with the alluring scent of old books. Secondly, they have a public bathroom. Thirdly, they have a really nice variety of gently used and some new kids books which are shelved by reading level.  Often when shopping secondhand, you begin to feel that the amount of time needed to sort through disorganized piles of goods is not worth the savings. This is not the case at Bookies, which is good, because there are only 84 more days until Christmas. 

Last night I was at Jewel where they had on clearance blanket throws for $1.24 each.  Yes, I know, a crazy good deal and a great gift for almost anyone. I reached over to grab five, and then I stopped and remembered my challenge.  This, I thought to myself, is going to be harder that I suspected.

Gratitude App

To the side is what I am reading now.  Im in the midst of the second book. 


On my dreadfully slow old iphone (it's 2 years old that's like 200 in cell phone years) I have an app called Gratitude.  The idea is you type 5 things you are grateful for each day and then as a result you are a happier person.  So I do it on and off, more off lately b/c it is taking too long IMO for apps to load on said old phone.

Here is what I have down for today:
1. That the kids are too old for 'The Wiggles"  (This one is a result of hearing an ad on the radio for an upcoming Wiggles show in Chicagoland--so glad the wiggles is no longer part of my daily life!)
2. That our air conditioning works, it wasn't working until about July 10 when Tom was able to get it fixed.
3. Bryce is washing the dishes and I only had to tell him it was his turn to wash them once.
4. Aldi sells a variety of their brand of philly swirl italian ice-y products and they are $1.89 a box
5. We are going swimming in a friends pool today

What's for dinner?
Tom defrosted a skirt steak, so I took in and rubbed it with Tastefully Simple Garlic Pepper Seasoning, Fiesta Party Dip MIx and Roasted Garlic Infused Oil covered it and stuck it in the fridge to be grilled later and then served with corn tortillas, Tastefully Simple Corn & Black Bean Salsa, and corn. Should be delish!

Back from Vacation!

Well we got back on Friday from our trip down to the fantastically goregous and very laid back Lake Chatuge area of Northern Georgia/Western No. Carolina. 

One highlight of the trip was the amazing Shrimp and Grits I had at The Ridges Resort and other highlights would be the kids playing 24 /7 with their cousins. Bryce jumping off a diving board and swimming sans life jacket, the fantastic cooking of my bro, SIL and her awesome mom.

And the big highlight of the trip my brother adopting his step son. Woo Hoo!  Congrats to the whole gang! 

The kids in historic and artsy Berea, KY whilst Tom was on a conference call for work.

I wish this was the view from back yard!

Sunset ahhhh

Patrick and Uncle J at Anna Ruby Falls

A pic of one of the falls at Anna Ruby Falls

Tom make a new friend.

While we were gone Tom's dad was hospitalized and since we've gotten home, Tom has been at the hospital or talking to his dad or his brothers and other family members non-stop.  He is giving his dad a peptalk right now on doing his breathing treatments and concentrating on getting better and getting out of the hospital.  He is a very good son.

Hopefully when he gets off the phone, he'll enjoy a new recipe I found in Real Simple magazine yesterday. It's Spiced Chicken Salad with Plums and Chickpeas  now the recipe calls for Garam masala.  Garam masala is a seasoning blend typically composed of black pepper, cadamon, cumin, nutmeg, etc.  I didn't have any of that on hand but I though it was the perfect time to pull out my Tastefully Simple's Flavors of India Seasoning and it worked really nicely!.

LEAN CUISINE, Asiago Cheese Tortelloni

LEAN CUISINE, Asiago Cheese Tortelloni Lean Cuisine sent me a coupon for a free meal. I think it was because I had trouble with a promotion they were running for free soft sided lunch bags. Yesterday I redeemed the coupon for one of the new Market Creations. The Market Creations is a single serving meal that comes in a steamable bag that you pop in the microwave. I went with the Asiago Cheese Tortelloni. It was scrumptious. Now Lean Cuisine is my fav frozen low cal meals. and if they keep innovating with stuff like this, I'll def. keep buying. I was really pleased with the flavor of the meal and that the pasta wasn't all mush as can tend to happen with frozen meals. Now I wish I had another to eat for lunch today! Our stove needs a new part so right now it isn't functioning. Given that Im thinking grilling again tonight and frozen veggies for a side. Tomorrow crockpot for sure. Im thinking of making this:

Italian Beef


Submitted by Stephanie Fager (GA)



Ingredients

4 Tbsp. Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning (divided)

1 Tbsp. Onion Onion™

1 Tbsp. Garlic Garlic™

1 tsp. salt

2-3 lb. beef roast

2 (12 oz.) cans beer

Italian bread or rolls



Directions

Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning and Garlic Garlic™ in bottom of slow cooker. Place beef roast on top. Sprinkle remaining 2 T. Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning, Onion Onion™, and salt on top of beef roast. Pour beer around roast. Cook on high for 4 hours; reduce heat to low and cook an additional 4 hours. Remove roast; cool slightly and shred into pieces; return to slow cooker and simmer on low until ready to serve. Serve on Italian bread or rolls. Makes 8-12 servings.

Spring Open House 2morrow

It's the home stretch of Spring Break, or so I've decided that is how I am looking at it.  Tomorrow is my Spring Open House (no fooling) and then saturday is our 12th anniversary.  How are we going to celebrate?  My DH is picking up his nephew (he lives in a group home) and his other nephew and they are coming over here for the evening.  Great way to spend our anniversary, I say with very very little enthusiam, but w/o going over the line into seriously crabby saracasm.  I am very proud of my restraint.

Now back to my open house.  Turns out as I review the recipes for posting below,  I accidently left out a step on my cake lollipop making.  I was supposed to put in the sticks before chilling, not wait until tomorrow.  Hopefully the darn things will stick on the sticks.

Wish me luck. 

Pop Quiz:
Do you think that I realized that April 1st was part of Spring Break when I picked that day for my open house?

Answer: Of course I didn't.  I thought April 1st would be good because Spring Break was in March not April, not realizing that Spring Break started in March but end in April.  Good thing the basement is ready for the children's banishment.

Awesome Pulled Chicken

3lbs boneless chicken
½ bottle Awesome American BBQ Sauce

Add chicken to slow cooker pour BBQ sauce over the top and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Then shred chicken re-mix w/juices and serve on buns.

Honey Teriyaki Bacon Bites
Submitted by Jo Wolanski (NJ)
Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless, skinless, cubed chicken breasts
1 lb. sliced bacon
Honey Teriyaki Sauce

Directions
Wrap each chicken cube with 1/2 slice bacon; slide onto skewers. Brush generously with Honey Teriyaki Sauce; marinate 20 minutes. Grill until golden brown. Makes 4-6 servings.

Tempting Taco Pinwheels
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef

Ingredients
Tempting Taco Cheese Ball Mix™
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 oz. pkg. deli-sliced smoked turkey, diced
6 flour tortillas

Directions
Combine first 3 ingredients; fold in turkey. Divide mixture evenly among tortillas; spread to edges. Roll up tortillas; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch slices. Makes 8-10 servings.

Instant Ole Ole Fiesta Dip
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef

Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese
3-4 Tbsp. Olé Olé Fiesta Sauce
3 tbsp sliced green onions
1 Tbsp. sliced black olives

Blue Aztec Chips or tortilla chips
Directions

Place cream cheese on a small serving plat; drizzle with Olé Olé Fiesta Sauce. Sprinkle with tomatoes and olives; serve with Blue Aztec Chips or tortilla chips. Makes 8-10 servings.

Cutie Cake Lollipops
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef
Ingredients

Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix™
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) melted butter
1 cup water

16 oz. container cream cheese frosting
Sprinkles or sanding sugar for decorating
1 lb. 4 oz. package white almond bark

60 lollipop sticks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 3 ingredients; stir to blend. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is nicely browned. Cool completely.

Break pound cake into crumbs with a fork until you have small, uniform crumbs (the smaller the better for smooth lollipops). With a sturdy spoon, stir in 3/4 of the cream cheese frosting; stir until a stiff dough forms.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls; insert a lollipop stick into each ball. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cover; chill 1 hour.

Melt almond bark as directed on package; pour into a small deep bowl. Dip each lollipop into the warm almond bark. Set on wax paper-lined baking sheet. Continue with the remaining lollipops. Decorate each with sprinkles, sanding sugar or a drizzle of melted brown almond bark. Makes about 5 dozen (60) lollipops.

Superbowl Sunday

Snowing today.  So not cool!  Tom is one the phone worrying about his Mom and Dad.  His mom just returned from a 4 day stint at the hospital where she had her gallbladder removed and is now on the phone because she feels Tom dad doesn't feel well.  Yes things are back to usual.

Over here at our Casa I am looking forward to my Italian Feast & Wine Tasting Tastefully Simple Open House in a couple weeks.  This means I have to test recipes.  We don't have any wine for tasting, at present, but I did whip up a nice salad dressing with our Sensational Caesar Veggie Dip. So that will be on the menu.

As far as food here is what I made this afternoon:

I took some ground sirloin and cooked that & drained the oil & made:
1 cup prepared Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa, prepared w/chicken stock

Then in a pan I sauteed 1 thinly sliced shallot, 4 garlic cloves minced, & 1 red bell pepper sliced.  After a couple mintues of cooking I added  2 diced plum tomatoes, 10 leaves of fresh basil chopped--along with the quinoa and ground beef. It needed some flavor so I added 1 tbsp of the TS Garlic Pepper Seasoning and sprinkled some TS Seasoned Salt.

It's a grey dreary cold day outside.  Lucky for me Im not 100% filled with Seasonal Affect Disorder because I had a 2 days shot of dreams of spring and summer tastes at Tastefully Simple on Tour.  All the delicious new products are still underwraps.  I do think it's safe to say that Im looking forward to Fiestas!!!!!!

And  Im so glad that the BLANK and the fBLANK and the awesome BLANK is coming back. It's going to be great.  I can't wait!

How many days til spring?  42 more days ahhhhhhh 6 weeks?  Hmm where is that darn groundhog???

Slow Cooker and What the kids are reading

Yes the boys and I are reading the Strange Case of Origami Yoda.  They love it.  And Patrick is trying unsucessfully to make his own Origami Yoda.

The end of the Jewel-Osco Cookware for a penny with  reward stickers was right around the bend, so Sunday night I went and spent my whole paycheck at Jewel. Well, not really the whole thing, it wasn't as if I was at Whole Foods, but I stocked up and earned enough stickers for my grill pan. 
Since it was a Sunday and I had time to plan my purchases, I got everything needed to make a slew of Slow Cooker Recipes.  Tonight on the menu is Chicken Cacciatore, which is a big fave of 4 of 5 members of our household and honestly, that's as good as it gets.  I should start putting a star on the calendar anytime everyone likes dinner simultaneously.  I splurged on Butoni whole wheat refrigerated linguini noodles for dinner.  I will report back and let you know how that part of the meal goes---since I am too cheap normally to pay for the refrig. pasta.

I have been thinking for a good 2 years about how I would like to put together a Wine Pairing list to go with Tastefully Simple recipes.  To that end, I really need to host a night at my house to practice and to get feedback on what I come up with for the pairings.  Why am I writing that here?  Now I feel more compelled to actually work on getting that together.

Now if you are looking for a good pairing.  Try a nice Charles Shaw Merlot or Coopershawk Shiraz with this recipe from http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/vhamel

Merlot Beef Stew

Submitted by Dodi Kuehl (WI) Modified by me.

Ingredients

2 lbs. cubed boneless top round steak (or chuck roast,it's cheaper)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter    Just use a tsp of olive oil to brown the meat.

4 medium peeled, sliced carrots

8 quartered small red potatoes

12 sliced mushrooms

1 chopped medium onion

I'd use a sliced parsnip as well --that's how I roll

1/2 cup Merlot Sauce

2 Tbsp. Bacon Bacon™ Shrug I's skip this and throw in a TBSP of Onion Onion (TM)

1 Tbsp. Garlic Garlic™

4 cups beefbroth

Directions

Coat beef with flour. Melt butter in pan; Put Oil in pan heat up the pan and oil just a little then sauté beef in batches (don’t crowd), add butter as needed. Layer carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onions and beef in slow cooker. Sprinkle Garlic Garlic™ and Bacon Bacon™ over beef. Combine Merlot Sauce with beef broth, pour over slow cooker ingredients. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.

Anniversaries and Birthdays and Weddings

Happy Belated Anniversary to my Parents! They got to celebrate this year in their scenic new hometown of Blairsville, GA. 

And Tomorrow is my Favorite Virgo's Bday! 

Oh Ah! Such a Handsome Viking Vampire!

Wait, I just remembered Tom is a Virgo...So Happy Birthday to my second favorite Virgo! 
Snap, our friend Rocci's bday makes him a Virgo too.

Alright, Happy Birthday To My Third Favorite Virgo! *chuckle*

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Late Yesterday I received my Fall/Winter Catalogs and the first bottle of Wahoo! Chili I've had in two years.  I wept with joy.  While it is still August--and def. not Chili Weather, I couldn't help myself and I made Wahoo! Chili in the crockpot. :-D

What I did:
2 tbsp Onion Onion
2 tbsp wahoo chili
1 tsp Garlic Garlic

about 2/3 lb of ground beef cooked and drained
1/2 a big green bell pepper chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1 28 oz can of stewed plum tomatoes, which I had to chop up b/cause I thought I had diced tomatoes and it turned out I sure didn't!

Put all that in the crockpot til dinner time.  Now I like my chili over macaroni noodles and I also love shredded cheddar cheese, but alas, there is no cheese in our house. 

There is no cheese, no wine and no chocolate.  I know!  How am I surviving?  Am I dieting?  Nope Just need to get to the grocery store.

Here it is simmering in the crockpot

As for Weddings, next Friday Tom and I are invited to an engagment party, downtown somewhere, with Club in the title of the place.  So we need to bring a gift, yes?  And what is a good engagement party gift?

Shameless Plug, by my Bro's album!