ADVENTURES WITH PIZZA

Howdy Do all my little cowpokes out there! How are you today?? I am doing pretty good except for a bothersome heat rash! Oh yes folks, its that time here in Texas! 90 degrees makin’ you sweat gotta hate the humid heat weather time! LMAO! But today my landlord should be putting in a new AC unit in the bedroom, so HOPEFULLY that will help! Now I just need one in the kitchen and all will be well… except the electric bill LMAO!

Ok, I’m letting everyone know now… be on the lookout because the new Home Depot Garden Club email is awesome! Buy 1 Get 1 Free ROSES!!!!! OMG I so want more than one of these as I have been wanting to start a rose garden in my front yard for so long! Mom, do you want your rose coupon? LMAO! Anyway, it also has a $10,000 Powerade/Home Depot sweepstakes so make sure to enter that too! Great email this month! I love the Home Depot Garden Club! If you haven’t joined yet, what in the world are you waiting for?!?

Oh, I have to tell my little dinner story! Yesterday when I got home, I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was still too hot in the kitchen to really do a lot of cooking like I really need to! I have GOT to get a new AC unit in there LOL. Anyway… we decided to go out for dinner since the DS18 was gone, no extra kids over… Just Frank, Madison, Alex, and myself. So what did we do for dinner? PIZZA! Cheap and don’t have to heat the house even more Cici’s Pizza. Granted they may not have the “best” food in the world, but its cheap and Alex likes it and the location near us is “disabled friendly” lets say. Not to mention I had a coupon, so I was trying to be “fast food-ily” frugal! LMAO!



So we loaded in the car and headed out. We get there and pay and begin down the buffet. Now if you have been there before, you already know that you can special order things. Well these very nice young ladies behind the counter asked if we needed anything and I told them of Alex’s love for the Alfredo pizza and how he can eat 4 whole ones by himself LOL! So this young lady named Chloe made sure to hook him up with the pizza! He was covered in Alfredo slices LOL!



Then Alex said Chloe’s name and I was stunned! So I asked her if she would mind taking a picture with him. She was all for it! Even though you aren’t supposed to take buffet home, they gave Alex a box to put his leftovers in cause he couldn’t quite finish it all… he had maybe 1 out of 4 pizzas left! She took real good care of my special little man! THANKS CHLOE!



Ok so everyone is thoroughly sickly stuffed of pizza and we let the kids go play the arcade games. I give them $1 each and they take off (Madison holding Alex’s hand of course). Well Alex loves to play those claw machine games… ya know the kinds with the stuffed animals inside? He won himself a Ben 10 “dude” LOL! I tell ya that boy gets all the luck! Maybe I should teach him some card tricks and go to Vegas like on Rainman! LMAO!

So I came home last night and made a new scrub to wear to mom’s today LOL. I think she will like it. I have been making new ones every so often so she doesn’t get bored with my clothes LOL! I have been making lots of them since I am her temporary “nurse-maid” as Dad calls me. Makes me wonder if I should look into home health as a profession once she is well… dunno will have to sleep on that LOL! Now are you in the mood to craft today? You DO realize tomorrow is Mother’s Day RIGHT?? Have you made a card? Sewn a gift? Children, you are running out of time! Ok, well here is a neat idea that shouldn’t take you too much time or money to do.



Craft Idea of the Day: Recycled Potpourri Jar

Approximate Time: 15 minutes or less

Supplies:

baby Food Jar (2.5 oz.)
tulle
rubberband
potpourri
ribbon
flower or bow
hot glue gun
hot glue
Sharpie marker
dip container lid
scissors
newspaper

Instructions:

Cover your work area with newspaper. Fill a clean baby food jar with potpourri.

Use the dip container lid as a stencil. With a Sharpie marker, trace a circle around the dip container lid on the tulle. Make sure you have newspaper underneath the tulle. Cut out the circle of tulle and put it on top of the baby food jar.

Wrap the rubberband around the top of the jar to keep the tulle in place.

Hot glue ribbon around the top of the jar to cover up the rubberband and then hot glue the flower or bow on the front.

I made these as a little gift to give each woman in our church for Mother's Day. My sister gave me the baby food jars. The tulle came from wedding decorations that were going to be thrown away. I saved the rubberbands from my Sunday paper.

I made about 65 jars and only paid for the potpourri. It was $1.00 a bag at Dollar General and I used 3 bags.

I had a bunch of small ribbon flowers that I bought at the Goodwill in a bag of crafting supplies. These jars cost less than 22 cents each to make.

These would make good gifts if you were having a mother/daughter dinner before Mother's Day. You could sit a jar at each table setting.

They smell wonderful. But if you have allergies like me, you might want to take an allergy pill before starting this craft if you're going to make a bunch.

By Dana from Normaville, PA

**Just a note: If you don’t have baby food jars, I am sure small canning jars or other glass things would work. The Dollar tree sells glassware by the single piece.

Ok friends, its time to eat! YAY! My favorite subject… FOOD! OK, so with Mother’s Day coming, what are you making for dinner? WHAT?!? You haven’t thought about it? OMG must I do everything for you? LMAO just kidding… Treat your mamma right with a little home cooking… And DON’T FORGET to do the dishes afterwards too! LOL!



Pork Chops with Blackberry Port Sauce

Ingredients

6 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 shallots, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
3/4 cup sweet port wine
3/4 cup blackberry juice
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
2 cups fresh blackberries

Directions

Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and pan fry the chops until they are lightly browned and no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Set the chops aside.

Heat 1 more teaspoon of olive oil in the skillet, and cook and stir the shallots and thyme until the shallots start to become translucent, about 1 minute. Pour in the port wine, blackberry juice, chicken broth, and balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping off and dissolving any brown flavor bits from the skillet into the sauce. Cook until reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water into a paste, and stir into the sauce. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and stir in the blackberries. Simmer until berries are hot.

Return the chops to the skillet, and turn to coat with sauce. Serve hot, topped with sauce.

Well kids, that’s it… the conclusion to another blog. Oh don’t cry… I’ll be back tomorrow LOL! Mom is home now and she insists I don’t come over before I have a cup of go with all of you wonderful people! LMAO… so join me again tomorrow for more great times of the Frugal MOM. HUGS!