Non-Self Imposed Cyber Sabbitical

Well, I'm setting in a coffee shop that has Wi-Fi breaking my "Non-Self Imposed Cyber Sabbatical".  You may recall that I mentioned in a post at the beginning of the week that we were making a change with our DSL in order to change money.  Very simply, we were keeping exactly what we had but we canceled our land line.  By doing that, and the fact that we were not under any contract, we could actually save $60.00 a month on our bill BUT we had to have our current line shut down and turned back on again (to be treated like a new customer).  As expected, our Internet service went down on Tuesday afternoon.  On Wednesday morning I called to ask why I didn't have it back yet to which I was informed that having it back on by the 23rd meant by 8:00 PM.  I was PROMISED that it would be on by 8:00 PM.  Yes, promised - the words by the very nice customer service guy were "We say 8:00 so that we can over promise but over deliver - I work to make sure customers have it on well before that promised time".  What?  Seriously?  Liar, person who needs to not make promises. ;-)  I called at 6:00 PM to ask what the status was and was told that my account was being escalated (sure) because there was no reason why it should not be done.  I called at 8:15 and was told "oops its not done and we don't know why" AND guess what?  The department is closed that works on these new accounts until MONDAY!  Frustration!  It isn't so much that we don't have Internet that is the problem it is the fact that we were PROMISED several times that we would have it back on by the 23rd - one day without it.  I will be calling, again, first thing on Monday morning (I did call this morning just to make sure they were really closed) to put the pressure on to get it up and running.  For now, I'm enjoying a few minutes in a coffee shop and, in the evenings, getting a lot of scrapbooking done :-)

I doubt I will post again until after our Internet is back up on running sometime Monday (thinking good thoughts HA!) and even then the first post probably won't go up until Tuesday, is my guess!  Just didn't want you to think I really disappeared!

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Pinterest Challenge # 7

Well, guess what?  I still have Internet HA!  We aren't sure if they just had to do like a "code" switch so we didn't lose it or if they are behind and we'll lose it tomorrow or something for a day.  Who knows!  The good news for all of my faithful readers is I get to post this today after all!

I have three things to post - two thanksgiving "crafts" and one recipe. 

The first idea I found on Pinterest is a recipe from Kraft Recipes for Pumpkin Pillows.  They are super easy and soooo good!!

Don't those look yummy??  They are!  Here is what mine looked like:

See, they are so easy I even made them look almost like the photo!  And Of course, I will share the recipe!
12 KRAFT Caramels

1 tsp. water

1/2 cupBREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 Tbsp.brown sugar

1 tsp. flour

1/4 tsp.orange zest

20 won ton wrappers

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 cups oil

1 Tbsp.powdered sugar

Make It

MICROWAVE caramels and water in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; stir until caramels are completely melted. Cool 2 min. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Refrigerate until ready to use.
WHISK cream cheese, pumpkin, brown sugar, flour, zest and remaining cinnamon until well blended. Spoon about 2 tsp. onto center of each won ton wrapper. Moisten edges with egg white; fold diagonally in half. Pinch edges together tightly to seal.
HEAT oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat to 350ºF. Add won tons, in batches; cook 2 to 3 min. or until evenly browned. Drain. Cool slightly or to room temperature. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with caramel sauce

Now, here are my little "lessons learned" - I was a little concerned about the Caramel sauce when I first made it because it did not mix well - the sour cream and caramels separated.  But, after sitting in the fridge for several hours, it mixed up perfectly.  I think the sour cream helped to soften up the caramels more.  Also, these are best served cool.  The pumpkin filling stays HOT for a long time and it really isn't great to eat (not to mention you will burn your mouth, trust me).  I made them in the afternoon and we had them as a snack that night and they were perfect so you could easily make these in the morning and serve them as an afternoon snack.  I plan on making them Thanksgiving morning and serving them as one of our "snacks" late morning/early afternoon. 

The next two items are easy, peasy crafts.

The first idea is for this adorable little Turkey Shirt.  I had wanted to get my kids a Thanksgiving themed shirt but just couldn't justify the money - these were too cute and looked easy.

I managed to do this project for free - each of the boys happened to have a plain shirt that they, honestly, didn't wear because they went to other outfits and didn't really fit with anything they have now.  Then, my mom had loaned me a container of fabric to use for another project so I just went through that stash and found what I needed.  There even happened to be "plain" fabric in there for the turkey body.  Here is my finished product:

I think they are perfect and will be fun for the boys to wear on Thursday.  I'm already thinking of what shirts I can make for Christmas instead of ordering from Etsy - I love Etsy, don't get me wrong, but if I can make both shirts for under $10.00 instead of spending $50.00 . . .well .. . what would you do?

My second craft are Placecards for the table.  Now, there are only 4 adults so it isn't like there will be a big guessing game on who is sitting where nor do I set an elaborate table because, well, my table is hardly big enough for the food, let along decor (unless I get creative before then!) but I still thought these were too cute  to not make.

They were super easy - I just used scrapbook paper I had on hand, kitchen twine, and printed the names on cardstock to cut out for the tags.  The hardest part?  Cutting the fringe because it was time consuming LOL

Aren't they cute??  I think so!

Did you make anything fun for Thanksgiving?  I have one or two other ideas I'm hoping to use on Thursday but I have to wait to see if it actually happens :-)

Enjoy your day!

Too Cute Not Too Toot!

First up is a cute idea I've seen done with candy corn but I wanted to share this tutorial from A Turtle's Life For Me because she DOESN'T use candy corn.  I don't know about you, but I can't seem to find candy corn after Halloween so if I don't stock up on it before then, I end up not being able to make cute things like this cookie idea.  I did actually buy candy corn this year but my kids found it and they LOVE "Tiny Toes" and ate almost all of them!

Wow - this week is a fail, is it not? LOL  I have just not be inspired lately by what I'm seeing out there either because it is the same stuff I saw last year or because there just isn't a lot out there right now.  I think everyone is in the same boat as I am - we are all working on other stuff and not focusing on crafts :-) 

As and FYI - my "normal" Pinterest Challenge post won't go up on Wednesday.  I have a couple of things to wrap up on two projects before taking photos but I won't have internet access on Tuesday to add everything to the post.  We wanted to cut down our phone bill and get rid of our land line, which we did but, because we aren't under contract (after having the service for 8 years HA!) it was cheaper for us to "cancel" and then get the special rate for our same DSL we have now.  BUT, that means they have to turn off our service and then turn it back on and we were told we would not have internet service on the 22nd.  I'm hoping that they under promise and over deliver - meaning that we will have internet sooner then we plan!  We'll see :-)  I really don't spend that much time online during the day but, I do write my posts in the evening most days so . . .this week will be a little out of sorts :-)

That's all :-)  I can't wait to share THREE things from Pinterest with you on Wednesday though!  They are all fun and easy.

Have a great day!

Chore Charts

One of those odd things that intrigued me about Blogs at first was all of the giveaways.  Now, in the just over a year that I've been blogging I've noticed that the number of comments in a lot of giveaways have gone from 100 to 600 or 700 hundred!  The first few months I was entering them, I won several and was shocked but then, well, came the dry spell HA!  I also got tired of jumping through hoops on some blogs to "enter" - meaning you had to do 47 things to even enter a comment OR had to like Facebook Pages, twitter accounts and more.  I just want to say "I like it and I want it" HA!   Well, back in August (yes, I'm just now posting this)  one of my favorite blogs, Oopsey Daisy, hosted a giveaway for a Chore Chart.  I had been thinking about what I wanted to do so I decided to enter.  Needless to say I was amazed to find out that I won!!

The site actually sponsoring the giveaway was Idaho Mom of 2.

Before I show you the chore chart I received, here are a few photos of other items currently up for sale in her shop:

Just really cute stuff!

I absolutely love the chart I received.  JoLynn was wonderful to work with as I figured out exactly what I wanted my chore cards to say and communicated with me when the item was ready to be shipped.  Check this out!

 Is that sign awesome?  You can customize the colors and she does have single name charts and I saw one with three names as well.  I love the little hooks and how sturdy the whole thing is because I know it will get beat up by two little boys!

I was able to pick 12 chores for of the boys (and she does include a wonderful list to chose from or you can make up your own!).  Each card includes a photo and the words for the readers and non-readers to be able to use.  Once the task is complete, just flip the card and they have the Happy Face Star on the back.  I like that this chart can grow with them - as they outgrown the chores I picked, I can return to JoLynn's shop and order some more cards to use. 

Now for reality,  I have not used this yet HA!  Right now, because the boys are so little still, we just have "lets help mom" moments and they do little things.  They are learning HOW to do the things that will be their chores like emptying the dishwasher, feeding the dog, brushing teeth and more. Once they have learned how to do those things, we will start working on daily chores and a small reward system.  I like the Dugger Family idea of paying pennies - especially at this young age but I haven't decided for sure yet.  We are working on our "kid" wall right now and this chart will hang on that wall along with clip board displays and a growth chart.  I can't wait to get everything done and hung!

If you are looking for something like this - check out Idaho Mom of 2!! 

Enjoy your Monday :-)

Happenings in this House

Can you believe it?  I'm actually posting 2 weeks in a row!  I just thought I would share a few cute photos from our week.  We had a pretty quiet week this week.  Nothing out of the ordinary!  Darryl ended up with Friday off because he had hit his max hours by Thursday so that was a great treat!  Because he ended up being home on Friday, I took advantage of a last minute crop on Saturday and went scrapbooking for the entire afternoon.  It was a fantastic getaway for me being able to just leave and not have to think about anything at home.  Today, Darryl had a concert so we all went with him.  I usually always take my camera but I didn't today and totally regretted it because the boys danced and sang on stage during practice.  Before we even left home, Josh had to find his "guitar" (he has a play one) and take it with him so he could play and yes, he did play while the group played! LOL  Next time I WILL take the camera!

Here's our week in photos:

 Someday, I'm sure that Nate will not be fond of these photos but right now, he thinks my headband is a "hat" and always takes it off my head :-)  These were just too cute to pass up!!

 Nate being held up by Darryl - Nate balanced very well!  (Don't you love the hood? He wore that thing ALL day long!)

 Josh being held up - I love that huge smile.

 I left Friday afternoon to go to the grocery store and came home to THIS in my living room - the boys had tons of fun while I was gone! 

 These next pictures (the one above and the ones below) are from Sunday - yes the built more tracks.  Josh likes that Darryl builds them in a circle and Darryl loves to build them :-)  They had a lot of fun this weekend with all of the Thomas the Train stuff!

That was how week!  We are looking forward to a "short" week due to Thanksgiving and getting to spend Thanksgiving with my parents.  It should be a fun day!

Weekly Menu - week of 11/19 AND Thanksgiving!

Wow, can you believe Thanksgiving is this coming week?  It seems like it was months away and then, I turned around and it was a week away!  We had some really good meals this past week and one night of leftovers.  I was recently trying to figure out why, growing up, we "always" had leftovers on Sunday night.  Then it dawned on me, my mom shopped on Mondays so by the time we got to Sunday night, it was basically clean out the fridge.  My mom didn't cook after church on Sunday night, we were kind of on our own with supervision!  Sometimes we had pizza but most of the time you hoped you were the first one to the fridge so you can the best leftovers!!! 

I'm going to do this post a little differently.  First, I'll give the basic weekly menu and then I'll do Thanksgiving day separately. 

Saturday:  Darryl and the kids are having Hamburgers and Mac and Cheese; I'm going Scrapbooking all afternoon/evening.

Sunday:  Darryl has a concert so we will grab something quick on the way home (I should clarify that normally, Sunday lunch is our big meal)  For dinner, we will have Overnight French Toast and Bacon.

Monday: With Thanksgiving hitting this week, our meals are going to be simple!  So, tonight is Spaghetti and Garlic Bread (Since it is just the kids and I, I'm doing store bought, not making my own sauce.)

Tuesday: Tacos and Rice

Wednesday:  Lasagna, bread and salad (I actually made and froze a pan of lasagna a few weeks ago since I knew I would be busy getting ready for Thanksgiving!)

Thursday:  See the menu below!

Friday:  No kids, no husband and I'm shopping - no meals planned :-)

Saturday: The kids will still be gone - we will have leftovers or order a pizza! - Oops I went over a day HA!

Our Thanksgiving Menu

I have not hosted Thanksgiving at my house since I was a single girl living in my first apartment and we did "Christmas" early because my brother and his family were moving to Brazil.  I was kind of excited to get to host this time.  I mean, there will be so many of us!!  My parents and us - that is a total of 4 adults and 2 kids HA! 

Snacks: If you know me, you know I love to have little appetizers on hand.  I find it helps keep people happy!  Our snacks are:

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil - this is awesome stuff.  I made it several times this summer and the best part is this recipe is a Weight Watchers recipe so it is nice and light too. 

and

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Wontons - I'll be posting this recipe this coming week on my Pinterest Challenge.

Peanut Butter Goodies - This was my husbands request so my mom is bringing them :-)  His words were "I just want them to snack on, not for dessert."

The Meal: Now for the good stuff!  Check this out :-)

Puerto Rican Turkey - my brother made a turkey last year that was to die for and he willingly gave me his recipe.  I can't wait to make this and hope it is almost as good as his (without his touch, it won't be perfect HA!) 

Our Sides:

Pomegranate Arugula Salad - this is something new but I love pomegranates!  

Green Bean Casserole - just the standard version

Sweet Potato Casserole - this is an "old" recipe I have but I haven't made it in years.  I hope it is as good as I remember!

Parsley Potatoes - lets be honest, I can't make mashed potatoes to save my life.  (I know, who CAN'T make mashed potatoes?)  This recipe is my new go to potato recipe though so I know it will be a hit!

Sausage and Herb Stuffing - I'll be honest, I've never made this but it is an Ina Garten recipe and I've anything I've made of hers has been good.  I just didn't want the "typical" stuffing
Cranberry Sauce - This is my mom's famous recipe so she is bringing them (hehehe . . from the deli at her local store but it really is some of the best stuff ever!)

Rolls (just the Hawaiian Rolls - nice and simple!)

Dessert: Lets just say I enjoy making dessert so I think my parents will be taken a few pieces of pie home!

Caramel Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie - this is a combination of two recipes so I will share later

Surprise Pecan Pie - this just looks yummy!!

I have my list all made on what to cook when so I won't be cooking all day on Thursday - most things will be made or at least ready to be assembled by Wednesday evening.  One "side" note on the sides - I do plan on cutting the recipes in half, yes we like leftovers but we don't eat them for weeks :-) 

Enjoy!

Food Friday - Lemon BBQ Mini Meatloaf

Welcome to Food Friday!  I'm slowly getting back on track and am actually cooking meals we'll eat :-) LOL  I had a "surprise" success this week with an old favorite.  We have several meatloaf recipes that we love and this specific recipe I hadn't made in awhile.  I had actually planned to make a differant one but I couldn't find one of the key ingredients that I thought I had on hand so I had to improvise.  Well, we might have this once a week because the kids inhaled it.  Yes. Inhaled. It. 

Lemon BBQ Mini Meatloaf
adapted from Lynnette McMaster (my sister-in-law)

These little packets of flavor are so good!!  The lemony flavor along with the sweet sauce make them hard not to inhale!  They are just plain yummy!

1 ½ pound ground beef                            

¼ cup lemon juice                                   
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup onion cut small
1-2 teaspoons salt
4 slices of day old bread cut small (I usually use 1/2 -1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs)
½ cup Ketchup
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (I very seldom have this on hand so it is optional)
1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon all spice

6 lemon slices (I never put these on because I always forget to buy lemons!)

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well – you will probably have to knead it with your hands.  Mix well and shape in to 6 individual loaves and place in a greased 13 x 9 pan.  Bake 15 minutes in a 350 degree over.  In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients except lemon slices.  Cover loaves with sauce and top each with a lemon slice.  Bake 30 minutes longer, basting occasionally with sauce from pan. (Honestly, I never baste them and they are fine!)  Serve sauce over loaves.