Skip

It has come to my attention as of late that when in comes to traveling on foot my girls are very prone to skipping.  It does my heart good that they are young and carefree enough to find so much joy in such a simple pleasure.  They skip into school or down the hall to their rooms, into stores, through the library, and I don't stop them.  What a wonderful world childhood is.  It just makes me realize maybe a bit more skipping could do me good. 

Growth

I wish I was writing this post to say that I have had some life altering experience helping me to grow and an overall better person, rather I am writing about an actual "growth"  that is located on the back of baby girls left earlobe.  She had her ears pierced about 6 months ago and apparently she is a real over achiever and has over healed by producing a "growth" right next to her earring back.  Due to my stellar parenting I did not even notice it was there until it started bleeding Sunday night.  Now that I have her earring out and can see it I swear it is so big it may start speaking to me at any moment.  To make a long story short went to the doc today and we are going back on Thursday to have it lasered off!! Did I mention I pretty much have to hold her down to get this accomplished?  I will now stop typing to give myself a high five for awesome parenting.  SWEET!

Unabashedly Frugal

It has taken me almost 12 years of marriage and many attempts and failures to consider myself a some what successful budget super hero.  One of the things that really seems to help me is sitting down on Sunday with my fam  and planning a menu.  I ask what people want to eat for the week, then write my list for the grocery store based off of that menu.  After writing out my list I check out the deals for the week...( if you have never been to Pinchingyourpennies.com you should check out their grocery lists, they make this so easy.)  I then write all the prices that seem like good deals next to each item that applies on my list.  After checking to see if I have any coupons that would also help I am all set.  I ALWAYS go to walmart when doing my major grocery shop for the simple reason that they are cheap and they price match.  Oh and the fact that somehow when my 4th child came into the world my ability to effectively parent dissolved to nothing.  By the end of our shopping ordeal she is running around my cart and has normally fallen 2-3 times.  Why not keep her in the cart you ask?  I don't know....she asked to get out and for some reason I always comply....she is my kryptonite what can I say? Anyway, this is the part that some can not stomach but is VITAL, it embarrasses my husband to no end but really this is what makes all the difference.  I put all my groceries on the belt divided into two groups, those I am price matching and those I am not.  I inform my checker that everything behind the divider needs to be price matched, and when they reach them they ask for the prices.   This used to be much more difficult and embarrassing with checkers always pulling ads and such, but since Christmas time when they were really marketing their price matching it is a breeze.  I have found this saves me tons of time and money, you should try it out.

One of these days I will share my full menu and price matching list.  I will just share this weeks menu today, just because I am always trying to figure out what to make and knowing other peoples lists always helps me.

Mon....BBQ ribs w/ cheesy potatoes
Tues...Enchalads and the recipe for corn Nick shared in the previous post
Weds..Lasagna, garlic bread, peas
Thurs..Navajo tacos
Fri......General Taos Chicken and fried rice
Sat.....Leftovers
Sun.....Meatballs and Rice.

So be unashamed of how dorky it is to hold up the line pulling out coupons and making the checker enter in all the prices individually.  When you walk out spending less than you had budgeted you will be all smiles.  Trust me it is the nerdiest kind of rush you will ever have!!!  What what!!

Yummy way to use Roast Beef leftovers...CHIMICHANGAS!!

I love, love, love to cook, actually scratch that I love it when things are so good my hottie husband oohs and ahs over my food.  I am always looking for a good way to reuse my roast beef that is left over from Sunday dinner and though I keep trying to make myself like stroganaff, it is not on my list of good eats!  Chimichangas on the other hand make my mouth water, and on top of that they are so easy it makes me want to do a happy dance.  DISCLAIMER:  If you are ever looking at the recipes I post, know this......I love bacon and use it constantly in my cooking.  I am not opposed to butter, sour cream and cream cheese as they are some of my best friends in the kitchen.  If healthy is what you are looking for please don't read on, because counting the calories I cook with just ruins my fun.  Anyway...........all you need is a can of rotel (drained and I chop them) , some cummin, onion, roast beef (cooked and shredded), flour tortillas, and some oil to fry with (hence the disclaimer).

 1.  Dice about 1/2 cup onion add that and your rotel to a pan at medium heat. (I chop my rotel, because getting my kids to eat chunks of tomato is like asking them to eat their own feet....not happening.)

2.  Saute onions and Rotel in a little bit of oil then add your shredded beef and heat through.  

3.  Add about 1/4 t cumin and salt and pepper to taste

4.  Roll the beef mixture into tortillas soft taco style

5.  Heat enough oil to cover about half of your chimichanga over medium heat to 325 degrees.

6.  Fry chimichangas until golden brown, turning once (this takes about 3 min unless your oil is really hot).  BE CAREFUL....the liquid from your tomatoes does sometimes leak out and cause your oil to pop.

7.  Place on paper towel and serve hot with sour cream, shredded cheese, and lettuce.

8.  I usually fry mine and then put them in the oven while I finish up everything else.

I love Mexican food but have a hard time doing sides for them.  Tonight I tried something new and did a "chilied corn" recipe I found on About.com under mexican food.

The recipe called for

• 16 oz bag of frozen corn -or- 2 cans, drained
• 1 small can of roasted red chiles, finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chile powder
• 1 teaspoon serrano chile, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt to taste

I used 1 can corn, 1 can fiesta corn, cumin, chile powder, jalapeno pepper (finely chopped)....just used what I had or could find at the tiny grocery store down the street.

so easy, so good!
1.  pour corn and a bit of oil in a skillet and heat through
2.  add peppers, cumin, chile powder and salt.  ( I only used about 3/4 t chile powder because I didn't want it to be to hot.)
3.  Saute until heated through, serve.

AND THE VERDICT IS IN:
My kids loved it (the chimichangas), minus #3 who doesn't really like much of anything!  As for the corn, Hottie and I liked it but the search is still on for an all around crowd pleasing side.  Any recommendations?  Try this and you may then join me in a happy dance when everyone at your table is telling you how amazing your food is.  YIPPY!!

And it begins!

So....a week or so ago I couldn't sleep.   I have a lot of big ideas but I will be the first to admit, I talk about them but bringing those ideas to fruition......let's just say its not my strong point.  To give an example, when shopping for a bigger home for my family my hubby and I looked at a house that with its hat racks and cow hide hanging on the wall it could easily have passed for a cowboy theme room in any theme hotel.  In the end it was the perfect home for us, though I swore when we moved in that the border in our bedroom with the cabin and deer would be the first thing to go.  Sadly two years later I still look at that border every night before I go to bed.  So I had a plan.  In the next year I would make a list, all the things I think about doing but somehow never seem to get around to.  Each day I will do something off my list and write about it sending it off into cyber space.  I will make time for things I forgot I loved and I will do the things I have never done.  And so bit by bit layer by layer I will become better.  So here we go, let the games begin.