I need to take a moment to say I’m sorry to all my readers. I missed responding to a few comments you wonderful people left. So I want to address them now.
Jean- You know I lub you right? I want to thank you for the well wishes and all the support you give me. Does everyone know Jean was one of my first readers/followers? She helped me decide to actually start this blog while we chatted in one of our yahoo groups. I’ll be forever grateful to you Jean… I’ve had so much fun doing this blog, and its in part due to your support! You’re just awesome! Never forget that!
Melissa- You asked quite a few things… so here we go! First the Nerds boxes. You can find the small boxes in the bags of candy like you give out for Halloween, etc. What are they called… fun size I think? I know they have Valentine’s ones out right now. Also look on the normal candy aisles and they have big bags of Willy Wonka candies… but warning, unless you plan to use the other types of candies, it’s not really worth the money. See between candy bouquets, and just general peeps eating junk, we use it up no problem. I have some extra empty boxes I think if you want them… just email me and let me know. The clearance deals I found at the League City Walmart. They are ALWAYS clearancing tons of stuff. Like I saw racks of $3 and $5 clothing now, an aisle of clearance toys, you name it! I go first thing in the morning (I mean right after I drop off my kids!) so I can get the best picks. I also go to one of the local Kroger and find tons of great OOPS stuff too! I have a weakness for breads of all kinds LOL! It’s both a blessing and a curse! However, when you go to Livingston, you’re going the opposite direction as me LOL! The lobster. I got already dead. I only cook whole lobster one way… steamed. I make a garlic and herb compound butter and melt a 2oz. cup to serve with it. And as always, I save the shell and make stock out of it when I have enough seafood shells, etc. OK now… how to make money from home after you have your baby… oh girl! I have lots of ideas. First- CLEAN… you can take that one of 2 ways. You can go clean people’s homes OR you can clean out your own and list all the stuff you don’t want on ebay, etsy, the classifieds, etc.! Next- turn a hobby into cash. If you do crafts, call consignment shops and see if you can display your stuff. If you can sew and do alterations, advertise it! You can also become a “Girl Friday”. There are tons of seniors and disabled people who might not be as mobile as they’d like and need people to do their shopping, run errands, etc. Things like that, you can take your baby with you while you do. Another thing… babysit. I know that it sounds more for teens, but if you have a friend who might need a break/mommy’s day out… offer your services. Another thing, depending on the type of work you do, check with your boss about doing your work from home. Sometimes they will like the idea because it saves them money in having to pay a temp to cover your job. You know what you are doing and how to do it right, and nowadays bosses are being flexible about stuff like that. It never hurts to ask… the worst they can say is NO. Another thing you can do is recycle. Now granted, this is a bit more tricky and you may not be able to do it where you live. After I had my kids, I wanted to lose the baby weight, so I walked. I would put my kids in a double stroller and walk a few miles. When I did, I carried a garbage bag and a grabber. We collected cans during our walk and by the end of the week, we had about 20 bags… which here brought in a nice chunk of change. Check book sites like Barnes and Nobles, Borders, Amazon, etc and just type in “make money from home” and you will be surprised at all the books. Then you can check them out from your local library (to save money) or buy them if you’d like! I hope I’ve helped some.
Ok yesterday I mentioned I was gonna reveal something to you of great importance. Hold on to your pants… I have come up with another giveaway! BUT… this prize will not be given out until 1 year from now! Why so long you ask? Because its about recycling… and gifting! I want you to start planning your Christmas gift list now… who you need to buy for, etc. THEN I want you to think of how many of those people you can make homemade gifts for. THEN I want you to come up with something to make using something you can give new life to… recycle if you will. I have shared a ton of crafts to make and many from old things and will be sharing many more throughout the year. You have to give your gifts for Christmas and get pics of yourself giving it to the recipient. The person who can give the most homemade recycled gifts and prove it with pictured emailed to me will win a $100 gift card to a major store of their choice… could be Wal-Mart, Target, Office Depot, Kroger, etc. If I have it around me, I’ll get it for you! I’ll post more “rules/guidelines” in a day or two, but start those thinkin’ engines now! And before you ask, yes I plan on having other giveaways throughout the year along with this one! But as with the last giveaway, you MUST be a registered follower, and there will be a few days I ask for “recycling update comments” so be watching!! I think this is gonna be fun!
Alright, I didn’t get to making any crafts yesterday, so I’m gonna give it a try to get some done today. As for food… well mamma is opening the soup kitchen the next couple of days. I need big pots of lots of yummy goodness to feed a crowd. Why you ask? Well the band has UIL competitions this Saturday and guess who’s house they want to group at to prepare the next 2 days? YUP… mamma’s house! LOL I’m expecting 8 band kids (all playing loud instruments LOL) plus my 2 boys, a few of the DS18’s friends, at least 1 brother (the other brother is out of town on a biz trip), my momma (my dad’s working nights), and me and the hubs… at least 15 or more the next couple of nights… FUN! LOL actually I like it, so I’m not complaining. I’m gonna use the next few days to clean out the fridge of things that need to be used ASAP before they expire/spoil/etc. So I wrote down what all I had in the fridge last night and then searched through my stuff and have decided on these 6 soup recipes to make in mass quantity tonight LOL! Pray I have some left to freeze LMAO… yea I know unlikely, but a girl can hope, right? LMAO! Anyway, have some scrumptious yumminess for you right here… check it out!
Aloha Chili
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15-3/4 ounces) pork and beans
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts).
Asparagus Leek Chowder
Ingredients
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3 large leeks (white portion only), sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 tablespoon chopped pimientos
Directions
In a large saucepan, saute the asparagus, mushrooms and leeks in butter for 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended.
Gradually stir in broth and cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in corn and pimientos; heat through. Yield: 7 servings.
Butter Bean Veggie Soup
Ingredients
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Olive Oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a large saucepan, saute the celery, carrots and onion in oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add the broth.
Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until soup is heated through. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts).
Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1-3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).
Golden Carrot Soup
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter
2 cups water
1 cup sliced carrots
2 tablespoons uncooked long grain rice
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Directions
In a small saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add the water, carrots, rice and bouillon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until carrots and rice are very tender.
Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Transfer to a blender or food processor; cover and process until pureed. Return to the saucepan; heat through. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 2 servings.
Lemon-Chicken Velvet Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
10 fresh or frozen sugar snap peas
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Directions
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in the chicken, peas, parsley and lemon peel; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until chicken is heated through and peas are crisp-tender. Stir in cream; heat through (do not boil). Yield: 2 servings.
Well kids, that’s a lotsa potsa! LOL… I better get crackin’ on some prep work. Maybe I will get a chance to do some crafts or cleaning in between the work. I hope you all have a great day and I will see you tomorrow! HUGS!!
