TIME TO DESTRESS

Good morning my fellow bloggites! How are you this steamy sticky Wednesday morning? I am just dandy. I had a good night's rest, the kids are off to school, and I got a busy schedule ahead of me! Let me be the first to wish you a HAPPY National Second Hand Wardrobe Day! Whether its passed down to you from a relative or bought at a thrift store... today is the day you should put it on and let it shine!



Alright, first on the agenda this morning would be to address something that effcts everyone at one point and time in our lives... it does not discriminate on age, sex, weight, religion, nothing! And it can even kill you if you have too much, can't handle, or don't deal with it. I know this all too well. Boys and girls I am talking about STRESS! Millions of things, both very little and very big, cause us stress all the time. Sometimes when we don't even really realize it. The less stressed you can be, the healthier you can become. I am working on this. I also found an article that gives some tips on some things you can EAT to help with stress. WAIT A MINUTE! You mean to tell me that there can be GOOD stress eating?!?!? OMG tell me more! Ok, I will LOL! Read this article about some stress fighting foods!

7 Best Stress-Fighting Foods
By David Zinczenko

I send out a lot of info on my Twitter feed, from nutrition news to management tips. I get the most passionate reaction—and the most retweets—when I talk about stress. In fact, a friend of mine recently told me that stress was her biggest dietary villain. “I eat when I’m stressed,” she said.

To which I reacted, “Good!” You should eat when you’re stressed—it’s our bodies’ natural reaction to want to store calories to face whatever challenge is causing the stress in the first place. The key, however, is to eat what your body wants—the foods that actually counteract the effects of stress, and make you stronger (and leaner) when the tough times pass. So next time anxiety runs high, be sure to grab one of these seven stress-fighting foods.

(And while you're at it, be sure to follow my Twitter feed for hundreds of instant nutrition and health secrets like these.)



Papaya
Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a magic nutrient that could stop the flow of stress hormones—the very hormones that make your body superefficient at storing fat calories? Wouldn’t you want to gobble that food up like crazy, especially if it tasted great? Half a medium papaya carries nearly 75 percent more vitamin C than an orange, and provides potent protection against stress. Researchers at the University of Alabama found 200 milligrams of vitamin C—about as much as you’ll find in one large papaya—twice a day nearly stopped the flow of stress hormones in rats. It should work for you, too.

Other smart sources of vitamin C: Red bell peppers, broccoli, oranges

Bonus Tip: The closer an ingredient is to its original form, the healthier it is for you. Avoid the worst side of the nutritional spectrum by familiarizing yourself with this shocking list of The 15 Worst Food Creations of 2010.



Peppermint Tea
The mere scent of peppermint helps you focus and boosts performance, according to researchers. Another study discovered that peppermint tea makes drivers more alert and less anxious.

Other smart sources of peppermint: Peppermint candy and peppermint oil

Bonus Tip: Beware of disastrous drinks that only pretend to be healthy. Avoid 2,000-calorie shakes, 1,500-calorie smoothies, and other big offenders in this eye-popping list of The 20 Worst Drinks in America in 2010.



Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are loaded with stress-busting potential thanks to high levels of magnesium. Only about 30 percent of us meet our daily magnesium requirements, placing the rest of us at a higher risk for stress symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, tension, fatigue, insomnia, nervousness and high blood pressure. (Basically we’re frayed wires, and magnesium is the electrical tape that can pull us back together.) A quarter cup of pumpkin seeds gives you half your day’s magnesium requirements.

Other smart sources of magnesium: Spinach, Swiss chard, black beans, soybeans, salmon



Avocados
The healthy fats buried in the avocado’s flesh make it an ideal choice when you’re craving something rich and creamy. The reasons? Monounsaturated (healthy) fatty acids, and potassium--both of which help combat high blood pressure. Avocado fat is 66 percent monounsaturated, and gram-for-gram, the green fruit has about 35 percent more potassium than a banana. Whip up a fresh guacamole or slice a few slivers over toast and top with fresh ground pepper.

Other smart sources of potassium: Squash, papaya, spinach, bananas, lentils



Salmon
Not only does omega-3 fat protect against heart disease and cognitive decline, but according to a study from Diabetes & Metabolism, the wonder fat is also responsible for maintaining healthy levels of cortisol. And what’s the world’s best source of omega-3s? Salmon. But there’s another trick in salmon’s arsenal—a sleep-promoting amino acid called tryptophan. One salmon filet has as much tryptophan as you need in an entire day, and if there’s one remedy for stress, it’s a good night of blissful Zs.

Other smart sources of omega-3 fats: Flaxseeds, walnuts, sardines, halibut

Other smart sources of tryptophan: Chicken, tuna, beef, soybeans

Bonus Tip: The favorite trick of your friendly neighborhood restaurant? Substituting salt for flavor. Studies have linked high-salt foods to increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and even heart disease--and experts recommend getting no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium in your diet each day. Keep your salt intake in check by cooking with high-quality, locally sourced ingredients—and by dodging the salty disasters in this list of the 30 Saltiest Foods in America.



Almonds
The almond's first stress-buster is the aforementioned monounsaturated fats, but at risk of belaboring that point, let’s look at another almond-centered, mind-calming nutrient: vitamin E. In one study, Belgium researchers treated pigs with a variety of nutrients just before sticking them in a transportation simulator (basically a vibrating crate). After 2 hours of simulation, only those pigs treated with tryptophan and vitamin E had non-elevated levels of stress hormones. Almonds, thankfully, are loaded with vitamin E. To reach your day’s requirement from almonds alone, you need to eat about 40 to 50 nuts. Or you can mix them with other vitamin-E rich foods to save calories and add more dietary variety.

Other smart sources of vitamin E: Sunflower seeds, olives, spinach, papaya



Oatmeal
A biochemical effect of stress is a depleted stock of serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel cool, calm, and in control. One reliable strategy for boosting serotonin back to healthy levels is to increase your intake of carbohydrates. That said, scarfing down Ding Dongs and doughnuts isn’t a sustainable solution. Rather, to induce a steady flow of serotonin, aim to eat fiber-rich, whole-grain carbohydrates. The slower rate of digestion will keep seratonin production steady and prevent the blood sugar rollar-coaster that leads to mood swings and mindless eating.

Other sources of fiber-rich carbohydrates: Quinoa, barley, whole-wheat bread, Triscuits

Now it's time to talk crafts. Molly over at the Purl Bee has something I absolutely fell in love with! Giant Strawberries! Now you know that there is a huge berry bandit running rampit somewhere in my house that hides from me and I can never seem to catch LOL. But every time I go to the Farmer's Market, it manages to eat my crate of strawberries! LOL! I love them so much that once I saw this craft I have contemplated redo-ing one of my rooms in the house in a strawberry decor! OMG these are just too cute! Make sure to go to the site for the step by step photos and instructions. They are pretty easy to make and cute as a... well a BERRY! LOL!



Craft Idea of the Day: Giant Strawberry Pillows

Materials:

1 1/2-yards of Kiyohara Organic Woven Dots in Pink
1 1/2-yards of Kiyohara Organic Woven Dots in Red
1/2-yard of Organic Cotton Duck in Avocado
Two bags of Stuffing
A spool of light green thread to match the cotton duck, I used color #8975
A spool of neutral thread for sewing the berries
A ball of cotton embroidery floss
A Creative Grids 6.5-inch by 24.5-inch ruler or a protractor
A Strawberry Pillow Stem Template printed and cut out, available for free here

Ok folks, time for another crazy pick for your MEMORABLE MOVIES week. Today in the theme of destressing our lives, I have picked a light-hearted movie full of hope, humor, and the goodness of humankind. The movie is called "Michael" starring John Travolta, Andie McDowell, William Hurt, Bob Hoskins, Robert Pastorelli, Jean Stapleton, and even Teri Garr. (Synopsis: Frank Quinlan and Huey Driscoll, two reporters from a Chicago-based tabloid, along with Dorothy Winters, an 'angel expert', are asked to travel to rural Iowa to investigate a claim from an old woman that she shares her house with a real, live archangel named Michael. Upon arrival, they see that her claims are true - but Michael is not what they expected: he smokes, drinks beer, has a very active libido and has a rather colourful vocabulary. In fact, they would never believe it were it not for the two feathery wings protruding from his back. Michael agrees to travel to Chicago with the threesome, but what they don't realise is that the journey they are about to undertake will change their lives forever.) Ok, so in this movie, they are at a tavern and they order pie... lots and lots of pie! They even make Andie McDowell's character sing a song about pie. OMG I love pie! I can't help but to sing the song everytime I even think about pie! Its a super cute movie, so if you haven't seen it, definitely check it out! And with that, I have picked 5 super yummy pies for you today... although there are literally thousands of types of pies out there! Eat & Enjoy!



Saskatoon Pie

A not-too-sweet and fruity pie. Saskatoon berries are known as serviceberries in the United States. This berry has often been compared with blueberries though it has more of an apple flavor

Ingredients

4 cups fresh serviceberries
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a large saucepan, simmer berries in 1/4 cup water for 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice with berries. Combine sugar and flour together in a medium bowl, then stir into berry mixture. Pour mixture into a pastry lined 9 inch pie pan. Dot with butter. Place second crust on top of pie; seal and flute edges.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.



Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup whipped topping
10 peanut butter cups, divided
1 chocolate crumb crust (9 inches)

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter until smooth and light. Fold in the whipped topping. Coarsely chop half of the peanut butter cups; stir into cream cheese mixture.

Spoon into crust. Quarter remaining peanut butter cups; arrange over top.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers.



Sunshine Pie
By: Cool Whip

"A creamy layer, a fluffy pudding layer, and a topping made with fresh orange zest fill the graham cracker crust of this sweet, no-bake orange pie."

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk, divided
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 (6 ounce) HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 (3.4 ounce) package JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

Directions

Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup condensed milk with mixer until well blended. Whisk in 1/2 cup COOL WHIP. Spread onto bottom of crust.

Whisk orange juice, remaining condensed milk and dry pudding mix in medium bowl 2 minutes. Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the remaining COOL WHIP. Spread over cream cheese layer.

Stir orange zest into remaining COOL WHIP; spread over pie. Refrigerate 4 hours.



Caramel Pecan Pie

Buttery, nutty, and a touch of caramel, this is a very yummy pie! Full of flavor! Serve hot or cold, with a good size dollop of whipped topping or vanilla ice cream."

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecan halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in the melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm.



Nectarine Pie

Ingredients

2/3 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
5 nectarines
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place a large pot of water over high heat, and bring to a boil.

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, heavy cream and almond extract. Set aside.

Place the nectarines in boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Immediately place nectarines under cold running water and remove skins. Cut nectarines in half and remove pits. Place halves in the pie shell with the cut side down. Pour the cream mixture around the nectarines.

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes. Good served warm or cold.

Well kids, I'm outta here! I am off to clean, freecycle, sew, and whatever else suits my fancy! Thanks for joining me today and I say... let them eat pie! LOL! Be smart, be safe, and be frugal in whatever life leads you to today! Until tomorrow... HUGS!

CASINO COMA

Well a big hi there and hello to all my readers! How are you this muggy Sunday morning? I am actually in a good and anxious mood! Oh boy do I have LOTS to fill you in on!

It seems my little bloglets were very very busy yesterday! Good for you! I love reading the comments from you guys! Its awesome! Ok, so lets take a moment and address my peoples LOL!

First, to Jean- girl I am sorry to hear of you and the DH health issues. Glad to hear you didn’t reinjure the knee, and I know sometimes it may feel like it! Hang in there and all will be well soon! Baby it, but work it and you will be running marathons in no time!

Then there is Cyndi- I am with you on the gardening. I say plant anything you have the remote chance of eating and not only will the plants be helping the environment, but you can be partially self-sufficient and saving money on groceries too! Good for you!

To my dear Melissa- OMG WELCOME BACK! I am sorry to hear of the hard times you have endured the last few months, but I am so happy that my writing kept your spirits up and that your baby is home and doing well! Now would be time to put that crock pot to good use! LOL!

To My mom- oh boy oh boy did we have some fun yesterday huh? I can’t believe you are not fond of the slippers! I thought they were cool! LOL! And you want me to talk about seafood after all that I devoured (and snorted) yesterday?? LMAO! I’ll have to think about that one cause those crawfish are still swimming into the Gulf Stream this morning LOL! But OMG did I sleep like a rock! LMAO!



And to my Dad- WOW… You posted more than one line! I’m impressed LOL… just kidding. And do not be fibbing to these people… you ARE long winded, but that’s why we love you! LOL! Yes I can take a hint and that is why there was pie waiting when you came home LOL! Wasn’t it great and isn’t it pretty? See, I DO listen to you LOL! And OMG, Dad I love you… but you are a nerd! LMAO… think outside the (planter) box!? Are you serious?? LOL actually it made me chuckle… You are a goober but we love you! Thanks for finally not just lurking/blogstalking! LMAO!!

OK folks, now that our warped family humor has entertained you all, its time to get down to work. Actually this is not work, its very fun. I like chillin with ya’ll LOL! It has definitely been an interesting few days…

First off, many of you have noticed I have not made much reference to the DS18 in a little while. This is because we have been having some major problems with him. Long story short, he decided to move out yesterday while I was gone. Guess he would like to act grown up but still doesn’t have the guts to FACE me like a grownup… which is sad. I wish him the best and hope he stays safe but from now on don’t look for references to him, as there will be none.



Look at all this food! This was my first run on the buffet yesterday at the Casino! You can also see my mom’s hands and my DB’s GF in the background LOL! All you can eat crawfish boil and seafood and OMG yum! I literally sat there for 2 hours eating! I told you I go for the food! We had a food incident though, that while it makes me look SOOOO unintelligent, was funnier than stand up comedy! So I am gonna share it… laugh out loud all you want because even I laugh about it! LOL!

Ok, so anyone who knows how to eat crawfish and crab, know that it is very labor intensive chore with your hands. Well when you do a Cajun Crawfish boil, there is some serious spicy seasoning going on and your hands get coated in the grainy spicy goodness! OMG ok so my nose started itching and I was so into the serious munching I was doing, that I totally forgot that the spices were on my hands and I commenced rubbing under my nose… inadvertantly inhaling some of the seasonings LMAO! I was snorting crawfish! At the same time I also accidentally rubbed my eye! So not only did I burn the inside of my nasal cavity, I blinded myself as well! I was crying it burned so bad and the waitress was cycling iced tea to me as fast as her little legs could walk LOL. She was telling me, with her sweet little Louisiana accent that I was not supposed to put it in my nose LOL and giving me the look like Texans were so dumb and needed to go home LMAO!!!! But I must note that I didn’t stop eating through all this LMAO! Then once the sting settled enough to see, I decided to eat some more crab and I flung that in the eye I just scorched LMAO! But after 2 hours I couldn’t take no more (well I probably COULD but wasn’t going to) and so I took mom to play more games! We had a great time!

Now anyone who has been to the casino knows that there are these nice little ladies who come around asking if you would like anything to drink. It was free and so Leslie (the DB GF) and I took full advantage LOL! Let’s just say the ride home with me and her slightly inebriated in the back seat was quite humorous… Mom, DB, and the 2 of us were laughing all the way home… across the border and into the night. It was really fun! I remember gas station of love, sluts, marriage licenses, dollar menus, walking pineapples, falling in a toilet, and some other really funny stuff! My sides are a bit sore today! Cutting up can be so much fun!

OK now I have a hypothetical situation I need my readers help with. It’s a scenario I have been presented with and I need to know what you would do so I can advise this person what might be the best course of action. OK, so Person A tells person B that they are drinking, smoking weed, being promiscuous, etc… a bunch of bad things they shouldn’t be doing. So you have these beliefs about drug use (seeing it IS illegal and all) and know where Person A works. That job has a random drug test policy. Would you call in an anonymous tip about Person A (trying to get them some help) based on the hearsay from person B and your own suspicions? Help me out here folks… gimme your opinions!

Ok ok, I hear ya… lets get crafty. Today is a recycling yard project that I thought was super spiffy! If you happen to run across this at a yard sale, thrift store, etc. it would be the cutest outside decoration!



Craft Idea of the Day: Stained Glass Yard Light

I bought this stained glass lamp shade at a garage sale, and the table base at a different sale. I bought a solar rope light and coiled it around a clear glass vase, and put it under the lamp shade. (Note the solar collector at the left base of the stand.) I tied the shade to the base with green twine, so that it wouldn't blow off.

By kflocey

Now sadly, it is the last day of Chicken and Pie week. I hope you have tried some of the recipes and liked what you ate. Now this chicken is something very popular around here and the pie… well with the sadness and comas today, this pie is only fitting LOL!



Chicken Stuffed Chilies

Ingredients

24 fresh green Chile peppers
1/4 cup olive oil, or as needed
3 cooked, shredded chicken breast halves
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
3 cups enchilada sauce, divided
1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions

Preheat the oven broiler. Brush peppers with oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil peppers 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until scorched on all sides. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and peel. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken, 2 cups cheese, and 1 cup enchilada sauce. Cut a slit in each roasted chile pepper, and stuff each with about 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture. Arrange stuffed chiles in a single layer in a large baking dish. Cover with the remaining enchilada sauce.

Bake 35 minutes in the 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven, until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with olives and sour cream to serve.



Funeral Pie

"This a pie seen quite often in Amish homes. Because it is easy, quick and made from non-seasonal ingredients, it was often taken to the family of those grieving over a passing."

Ingredients

2 cups raisins
2 cups water
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line a pan with half the pastry and chill.

Place the raisins and 2/3 cup of the water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Combine the sugars, cornstarch, spices, and salt in a bowl and , mixing all the time, slowly add the remaining water. Add this mixture to the heating raisins. Cook and stir this until the mixture starts to bubble. Add the vinegar and butter and heat until the butter is melted. Cool until just warm.

Pour into the prepared shell and top with the second crust. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Cool.

**NOTES** You can add various other fruits in place of the raisins. Pecans and chocolate chips make for a sweet candybar-like pie.

Well kids, it’s a day of relaxing with the family and being leisurely today. Not sure what is in store for us today, but things will definitely be different around here now. I hope you all have a wonderful day in whatever you decide to do. Until tomorrow… HUGS!

ODDBALL GAMBLING

GOOOOOOD Morning boys and girls! How are you this fine day of days? I am ready for some side splitting adventures as I am on a “business trip” today LMAO! Mom and my brother want to go to the CASINO in Louisiana LMAO! Yep, we are off to the Indian Casino called the Alabama Coushatta Casino in Kinder and it plans to be fun and entertaining! I particularly do not like to gamble, but the buffet is worth the trip! OMG!!!!!! I think I just gained 5 pounds thinking about it! Anyway, it will prove to be an adventure for sure! I woke up and my hand was itching, so maybe it will prove to be a profitable day as well! My hand never lies… I always get money SOMEWHERE when my hand itches LOL!



Okie dokie… so I had to get a new phone last night, right? Well, let me tell you... It’s crazy! I’m not all for these new fangled phones, and the only phones they had were the touch screens and I have moose hands so I was learning all night! You think that they would make bigger buttons for goliaths like me! Well, everyone was texting me all night and I didn’t get a chance to really learn about the phone so guess what I will probably be doing on the long car ride LOL! Yep, got the instruction manual in my bag, so that I can read! I always have told my kids to make sure to read the whole manual before using the phone and here I am operating before instruction LOL… what kind of example am I? Well, wish me luck on learning the new technology! LOL!

OMG I saw the coolest news article this morning about Downtown Houston… Check this out!




Veggie Gardens to Spread in Downtown
Updated: Friday, 04 Jun 2010, 10:21 PM CDT
Published : Friday, 04 Jun 2010, 10:21 PM CDT
JOHN PERERA
Web Producer

HOUSTON - When Vegetable Gardens Attack! - Part 1.

The Mayor's Office of Sustainability alongside other organizations committed to the first phase of a two-part plan to make Houston just a little bit greener.

Around 11 a.m., the general public was invited to contribute to a container vegetable garden at the City of Houston Public Works building across from City Hall.

The vision is to have vegetable gardens all along the sidewalk in the 600 block of Walker Street, according to a statement.

Isn’t that the coolest thing? I think all cities should get in on the container gardening! Now my only question, is how in the heck are they going to keep people (IE the homeless, the hoodlems, etc.) from eating all the produce or destroying the plants. And what are they going to do with them all? Hopefully the food will be used appropriately... like used in the soup kitchens or donated to smaller food pantries, or something. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that they have thought this thing through! But I thought it was a good human interest story to spotlight today!

Ok, so are you feeling crafty today at all? Well I found this craft that makes you go “WTF?” LOL Since I am in an oddball mood and I think its exciting to try weird things, I am bringing it to you! It recycles, its funky and fun, and its definitely a conversation starter LOL! I want to see my kids faces when I tell them I want a pair of these LMAO!



Craft Idea of the Day: Newspaper Slippers

Materials

Newspaper
Glue
Stapler
Tape

Directions

These fun disposable slippers are ideal for the beach, painting in or yard work.

For the soles stack 12 pages together. Draw an outline of both your feet on the top page.

To hold the pages together staple inside the outline of the heal then cut out the shape.

For the straps make a 3 inch wide strip from a half page for each slipper.

Lift up about 6 of the pages of each sole outline. Place the strip inside the front part of the sole and adjust the size. Then staple in place.

Bring down the remaining 6 layers of the sole and glue down, then bind the front edge of the slipper with tape.

Is that not super crazy or what?? Ok, now today’s food… well with going to the casino, we are always teasing mom about her WINNING Mojo LOL, so today I thought it fitting our trip that I give YOU some mojo… chicken that is! And for the pie… well you have to show no emotions, especially on the tables like Poker and such. You need to be transparent. So what better than a pie that’s transparent too? LOL! Enjoy the oddball recipes I brought you today… in the spirit of the Casino fairies LMAO!



Broiled Mojo Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

1 lb drumsticks
1/2 cup Mojo Sauce
1 tbsp of garlic salt
1 cube Butter
salt to taste
3 garlic cloves sliced

Cooking Directions:

Pour mojo sauce over wings and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Drain excess sauce and add garlic salt, garlic cloves, salt and pepper.

Broil in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Have extra Mojo sauce for dipping wings in.

This recipe will serve 4 people. Pairing: Great to have with ice cold beers of your choice.



Transparent Pie

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie shell

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat eggs well. Mix in sugar and margarine. Blend in vinegar and vanilla extract. Pour filling into pie shell.

Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) until pie starts to brown. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue to bake for about 25 minutes.

NOTE** you can put fruit or nuts down on the bottom before adding the filling for an upside down pie!

OK friends, as Lady Gaga would say, time to put on my POKER FACE and get on down the road! LOL! It plans to be a very exciting day with tons of great food (my 2nd reason for going- mom would be my first LOL!) and lots of slots ringing and people screaming LOL! Ya’ll have fun in whatever you choose to do today and I will meet you back here tomorrow to tell the tale of my travels! Until then… HUGS!

A CASE OF THE GIGGLES

Morning everyone! I hope everyone is doing well today. I want to thank everyone for the great comments yesterday! Ya’ll were very busy! I LOVE IT! Oh and Dad (or mom or BOTH LOL)… do you think you could be any more “subtle” with your Key Lime Pie hints? LMAO! Gee, ya think they want me to make a key lime pie everyone? LMAO! To our dear Tabitha- no I was not born in the Keys. I’ve never been to Florida. I was born right here in Texas… about 15-20 minutes away from my house actually. And to Kathy- Busy is something I SOOO understand! Well, you know from reading my blogs LOL! But welcome, thanks for commenting, thanks for all the nice compliments, and I hope you stick around for the fun!

Now, I am sad to say that the 3rd celebrity passing came by way of yahoo news to me yesterday. Rue McClanahan passed away at the age of 76. She played Blanche on “The Golden Girls” just in case the name doesn’t ring a bell. RIP Rue!



Well, I spent the better part of yesterday scanning and trying to save my computer. I am praying that I got the problem fixed… not sure just yet, but we shall see! It was stuck in a reboot cycle and I had to go into the BIOS and fix stuff, clean the registry, defrag the hard drive, and do a TON more things. It was a pain in the neck really! The I ran virus scans and other scans which took about 8 hours. Sheer boredom of not being able to work on my PC made me actually go through all the junk around my desk and clean it up a bit! Yea I know… I was shocked too! LOL! I actually found some of the floor! LOL!



OK I need to ask a question. Have you ever unintentionally found something very hysterical and couldn’t quit laughing even though you knew it was so inappropriate? What does that say about my character as a person? I ask because that happened to me yesterday reading the Yahoo odd news once I got my computer somewhat fixed. There were a few articles that I just HAD to read but to tell you the truth, the comments were funnier than the actual article LOL! I don’t know why I found them so funny as some of the articles are actually rather disturbing! Maybe I am just a sick person LOL. Who knows… But if you are into some odd news, definitely check these articles out as my ribs were hurting after reading all the comments!

Man accidentally shoots self in testicles

Man punched while calling 911 to report punch

Man calls 911 about mom taking his beer

Funeral home steps in to stop the "grim eater"

NJ teen admits defecating in classmate's soda



I want to bring something to your attention… the Countdown to Christmas. I have a widget on the right side of your screen that is a countdown to Christmas. You may THINK 200+ days is a long time, but its really not. SOOO I have a new exciting project for you to follow. This year, I am making a goal! (Yes ANOTHER goal LOL) ALL my presents to anyone other than my kids (like from Santa LOL) are going to be homemade! Whether it be a gift basket, a blanket, clothes, whatever... I am not spending more money than I have. All the adopted kids (band, football, etc.) will all be included in this challenge. SOOO when that counter hits 150 day until Christmas, be ready! Because each day I will be making one Christmas present… My goal? Be completely done (and maybe have some extra gifts on hand for unexpected company LOL) by October 31st! Crazy you say? Maybe… but totally doable I think. I mean I have already completed 1 goal (Madison’s redecorating of her room) and hope to have another one (finishing my kitchen redecorating) by the end of next week! And, by the end of August, I will have completed at LEAST 2 more of the goals (Madison’s Birthday Sweet 16 party and the Fabric Challenge).So see, I have to have more goals to occupy my time LOL! AND I might have a redecorating/organizing job for my neighbor who wants me to decorate her kitchen and turn her back room into a HUGE walk in closet! So be ready for some crazy days of summer! LOL! Family stay-cations, crafting projects, paid crafting, and tons more! I think you might want to go buy some dramamine in case you get motion sickness from everything that will be going on! LOL!

Ok, now I know that some of my readers are either expecting or have recently been blessed with a little bundle of chaotic joy LOL. So I decided that today, being the first “official day” of summer vacation for my kids, I was gonna bring you some cute baby crafts. I know my brother has a friend, who has a 6-month old baby, so I might make these as a gift for her little man. I know our friend Susan is due this month… are you still with us sweets? I’m not gonna post the long drawn out instructional pages for these, but I am merely going to show you the pictures and link you to the page where you can find these great crafts!

Craft Idea of the Day: Baby Crafts



1. Travel Diaper Wipes Container- This is a great item to make for either keeping in the diaper bag or even in just your purse for small trips. As the child grows, I think you could utilize it for other things such as flushable wipes, markers, you name it… they are that versatile!



2. Diaper Bag- Now the good thing about making your own diaper bag is that if you have a theme for your nursery that might be a little hard to find things for, you can make it to match with no problems! Again, the bag can also be used for other things as the child gets older depending on what fabric you use to make it. Aren’t versatile/multi-purpose crafts the greatest? LOL!



3. Diaper Changing Pad- Ok, this is where my mom rubs off on me! I love her to death, but she is a massive germophobe! LOL! BUT I have to admit, I never wanted my babies touching anything dirty out in the public, and I cringe when even I have to potty out in public! That is why I buy packages (travel size) of Charmin Toilet Seat covers and a roll of Charmin TP and a pack of Cottonelle flushable wipes and they are ALWAYS in my purse! So what better way to protect baby from unsanitary conditions than to make this totally cute diaper changing pad to put under the baby while out in public!? Totally machine washable too! Awesome!

Alright my friends, its that time again! Its time to eat! YUMMMMMMMY! Are you sad though? Chicken & Pie week is coming to a close. Hope you have enjoyed the foods I have brought you and I want to know what you want as your next theme? Leave me a comment and give me some ideas… as for today… Nuts are the common denominator in our recipes today.



Buttermilk Pecan Chicken

Ingredients

1 cup ground pecans
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
18 pecan halves

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the pecans, sesame seeds if desired, paprika, salt and pepper. Place flour and buttermilk in separate bowls. Coat chicken with flour, dip in buttermilk, then coat with pecan mixture.

Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Drizzle with butter. Top each with three pecan halves.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear.



Watergate Pie

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (3 ounce) packages instant pistachio pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
2 tablespoons maraschino cherries, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

To Make Crust: In a medium bowl combine flour and walnuts. Mix in softened butter or margarine until mixture is smooth. Spread mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Allow to cool.

To Make Cream Cheese Layer: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and 1 cup of the whipped topping. Beat until smooth. Spread mixture over baked crust. Chill for 1 hour.

To Make Pudding Layer: In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Mix until pudding thickens. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping, and sprinkle with cherries and walnuts. Chill before serving.

Alright folks, I need to get off of here and get over to mom’s house. DH has kid duty today so we shall see if they destroy the house on the first day of summer break! DD has to perform at graduation tonight with the band, provided it doesn’t rain, so guess what mom is doing when she gets home from work… yep Band chauffeur! LOL! OK gang, look for a very early morning post, as my mom, brother, his gf, and I have an exciting road trip planned and will be leaving out VERY early (don't tell MOM! Its a surprise for everyone LOL)! So, see you tomorrow! HUGS!

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Hi there everyone. How are you today? I am in the doldrums. Today is the last day of school. I don’t like the last day of school. It means I have almost 90 days ahead of me of “at-home-munchie-monsters-who-love-to-aggravate-mom” days! YUCK! Doesn’t anyone favor year round school with NO breaks? LMAO… just kidding! I have a game plan this year to hopefully not have to endure such “wanna-pull-my-hair-out-by-the-roots” moments LOL! So we shall see… regardless, I had 3 little people to pick up in a couple of hours… ain’t that silly? 3 hours of school! Useless I think! We also had a very vicious thunder/lightning storm, which knocked out my power for a few hours, and now I am having some serious computer problems (the computer keeps rebooting itself!)! PLUS then my mom calls me and tells me that a kid at DS14’s school yesterday set off a BOMB in the gym! I can see what kind of a day this is gonna be! So sorry I am quite a bit tardy today.

This craft project I am gonna bring you today was so cool I had to post it. You ever see those little metal necklaces shaped as hearts in 2 pieces that say Best friends? Yea teen girls give them a lot. Well I found something similar… and it incorporates crafting and recycling which is always awesome. Plus the puzzle piece representing the autism thing gets me all happy too! So if you have young ladies, maybe this will be something they might be interested in!



Craft Idea of the Day: Best Friends Puzzle Necklace

Materials:

Pieces from an Old Puzzle
Paint
Satin Cord
Mini Pony Beads
Hand Hole Punch
Tacky Glue and Toothpicks
Low Temp Glue Gun
Scraps of Craft Foam
Markers or Letter Stickers

Directions:

Paint two puzzle pieces that interlock together. Let dry. Write "BEST" on one piece and "FRIEND" on the other (or you can use letter stickers). Decorate using holes punched out of scraps of craft foam. Using a toothpick to dab on glue will make this easier.

Cut two pieces of satin cord to make puzzle pieces into necklaces. Hot glue one end to the back of a puzzle piece. Slide on some beads. Hot glue the other end to the other side of the puzzle piece. Repeat for second piece.

Give one to your best friend.

Ok today’s food is inspired by my mommy! No not some of her favorite food (well it may be IDK) but more by where she was born! The Florida Keys… she is a conch and proud of it! LOL So I am bringing you some island favorites that will tickle your tropical taste buds! Salute to the Florida Keys!



Key West Chicken

Ingredients

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

In a shallow container, blend soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic. Place chicken breast halves into the mixture, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes (2 hours to overnight is best!).

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

(ANY piece of chicken will exchange well with this recipe, so if you tend to favor dark meat like thighs and quarters… go for it!)



Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
3 cups sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup key lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. DO NOT BROWN! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.



Florida Keys Rum Runner

Ingredients:

1 oz. Light Rum
1 oz. Dark Rum
1 oz. Blackberry brandy
1 oz. banana liquer
1/2 oz. grenadine
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
crushed ice

Mix in blender until ice is crushed into slushy form. Serve while frozen. Top with 1 tablespoon of Bacardi 151.

Ok folks, I am off to go cry in my beer LOL… I don’t like the last day of school. But hopefully I can keep the house busy enough to where A. it’s not a dreadful time and B. time will go by so fast that the next thing you know they will be back in school kinda thing! LOL! Then I have to work on my computer some more. I hope you stop in again tomorrow for some great food, cool crafts, and awesome conversation! Until tomorrow (hopefully) my pets… HUGS!

ARE YOU READY?

Well a big howdy ho little pard’ners LOL! How are you doing this crisp midweek morning? I am alright I suppose. Ya want to hear something stupid? Remember I told you the kids had to go just 3 days this week since they gave them Monday off? Well the ever-so-brilliant school board decides that they are going to get out early each day… SO, I had the DS18 who only had 1 class he HAD to go to this morning, so he will be home about 8:30-9am, the DD who is exempt from all her exams, so she didn’t have to go at all, and the DS14 who had all day to go but is doing nothing but coloring and watching TV in class all day! THEN they all get out at 11:30am tomorrow… and again the DD doesn’t even NEED to go! Stupid wouldn’t you say?? Sounds like the teachers have summer fever more than the kids if you ask me!

OK, so I hope that you found the post informative yesterday. Since it was a serious day yesterday, today is all about fun! I have already fed and watered the kitties, and watered the gardens, and now its time to sit with my friends and chat awhile! I’ve got some great recipes for you today, especially if you like Olive Garden! After I got home yesterday, I dropped off the kids and did some mad-dash shopping LOL! Today is going to be slow and steady LOL cause there’s not much more I need… the bulk items really. I even started buying some of the food for Madison’s party!

Well kids, it looks to be an interesting summer this year. I printed off a list of 50 ideas for activities for the family to do (each person got a copy) and they had to pick around 10 things that were interesting to them to do. They don’t listen real well honestly LOL cause the DH picked like 17, DD picked 14, DS18 picked 7, and DS14 really doesn’t care, so I picked some things for him. So far, it looks like a road trip to the Prison Museum, the Dr. Pepper and Mrs. Baird factories, the San Jacinto Monument and Battleship, the Zoo, and a few other exciting adventures! Hope you are ready to have these adventures with us LOL! I should have lots of great picture ops too! So are you ready?



One thing DS14 gets that I told everyone he will get is a movie day on June 18th. The new Toy Story 3 movie comes out and since he is a Toy Story fanatic, he gets to go LOL… popcorn and all! I also am taking a set of old tattered Toy Story bed sheets and making him a new duffle bag for this summer travel and hurricane. I am filling it with the normal stuff, but also with some Toy Story stuff I found at the Dollar Tree… crayons, coloring and word search books, stamps, frisbees, etc. It will be rough hiding this stuff from him LOL, but I am gonna do my best!



So did you see it? OMG did you watch it? Its Back!! My Hell’s Kitchen!! YAY! Thank god for DVR! I got home last night and I watched it and OMG it was soooooooooooo good! And my new Next Food Network Star season premier is on Sunday YAY! I love my cooking reality shows. Last night GR kicked like 7 of the aspiring chefs out of the kitchen on the opening night! They had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! You can bet I have the DVR set to record every single episode LOL!

Ok, the craft idea I bring you today is the neatest thing. I might even have my kids make a few this summer as an “its-too-hot-outside-to-do-anything” busy craft LOL! It combines art with recycling and that is super spiffy! If you don’t have a pampered chef tool to cut the lids, just use your regular can opener and then file/sand down the edges to where they are smooth and won’t cut you.



Craft Idea of the Day: Can Lid Chimes

Another use for those smooth can lids from the Pampered Chef Can Opener or from frozen juice concentrate. You can paint on a design of your own or use stamps. Just make sure the stamps are small enough to fit in the center of the lid where there are no ridges.

Approximate Time: 30 minutes - 1 hour

Supplies:

smooth can lids
paint primer
acrylic paints: white, bright pink, warm yellow
twine
wooden beads and spools
stamps, optional
stick or bamboo garden stake
hot or tacky glue

Instructions:

With large nail and hammer, make a hole in the top of each can lid. Prime 3-5 lids and dry. Paint desired background color. Draw on a design and paint or use desired stamp (We used a simple star). Seal with varnish. Cut several lengths of twine, about 18 inches each. Tie twine to bamboo. Add a touch of glue to hold in place. String on some beads and spools, knotting afterward. Tie on can lids at different points on each string. Finish with more beads and knots. Attach another piece of twine to edges of bamboo for hanging. Secure with glue. Add large bead to each end of bamboo and secure with glue. This would be a cheap craft for kids. Stamps may be best for them. Prepare lids with holes and primer ahead of time so the kids can go right to it!

By CinDy from Waynesburg, PA

I just thought that was simply the coolest thing for kids to do! Oh speaking of crafts, I have decided that I am going to do another lottery ticket bag and place it for sale here. I had tons of people interested in the bag, that I am going to be making another one and once I have enough tickets and such and its done, you will see it here. So keep watching for that!

Alright, its time to eat! YUMMY! Chicken and Pie… I bet I have gained weight just writing this blog LOL! I love chicken and lemons so much… you can do all kinds of neat things with them! Today I am bringing you sort of a copycat from Olive Garden restaurant and a simply heavenly pie! Now let me go wipe my mouth from the excessive drooling while you take a peek at these delightful delectables!



Chicken Scampi

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of white wine
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
4 boneless chicken breast halves, sliced lengthwise into thirds

Directions

In a skillet heat the butter or margarine and oil over medium high until the butter/margarine melts. Add the parsley, basil, oregano and garlic and salt and mix together in the skillet. Stir in lemon juice and wine.

Then add the chicken, peppers, onion, and mushrooms and saute for about 3 minutes or until chicken is white. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. More butter/margarine can be added if needed. Serve over angel hair pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese.



Angel Pie

Ingredients

4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup white sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/8 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F ( 120 degrees C).

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add cream of tartar and gradually add 1 cup sugar; beat until glossy. Turn the meringue into a well-greased 10 inch pie plate. Spread over bottom and sides of plate, building up the sides 1/2 inch above the edge of the plate. Place in oven, and bake 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven, and leave meringue inside to cool slowly.

Combine egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons zest, and lemon juice in double boiler. Cook and stir over medium low heat until thick. Cool thoroughly.

Whip cold cream until stiff. Place half of the whipped cream in the meringue shell. Cover with a layer of the lemon filling and top with the remainder of the whipped cream. This top layer can be put on with a decorative tube. Garnish with remaining lemon zest. Refrigerate.

Alrighty everyone, I am gonna call it quits this morning so I can get my day started. I hope you have enjoyed today’s entry and will join me tomorrow for more exciting news in the Frugal Mom’s journeys. Until tomorrow… HUGS!

AND IT STARTS

Good morning everybody! How are you doing this first day of “tuck-your-head-between-your-legs-and-kiss-your-butt-goodbye-if-it-comes-your-way” hurricane season? I am sick to my stomach really… I HATE hurricane season. Granted, I love where I live, but I could really do without the threats of life altering natural disasters… got enough of that watching what my parents have had to go through the last 2 years almost!

So, having brought it up, I want to cover some information for hurricane season with all my readers, especially those who live on the gulf coast and face possible storm threats each year. NOAA (which is short for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration… who is the most reliable and up-to-date weather center if you ask me) is predicting a very active year for storms… 14 to 23 Named Storms (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including: 8 to 14 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which: 3 to 7 could be Major Hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph). You can read the whole outlook article HERE if you are interested (or worried). I suggest bookmarking NOAA’s main page so you have it for quick reference as well!



Now, there are a few things you can do to “be prepared”. Yea I know, you here everyone talking about it, but can you REALLY ever be prepared? I don’t think so… Mother Nature does what she pleases and no human force is going to stop her. However, there are some forms of preparation that can be useful in the event of a storm. Some storms will knock out power, water, lights, etc. When IKE came through, we were out of power for about 2 weeks at my house… longer in other places. My first recommendation is to have a Hurricane supply box. In this box there are some very common things that will be useful in the event of a storm and you decide to stay in your home (either it’s a “minor/smaller” storm or you are just too stubborn and hard headed to leave- LIKE ME!). Here is a list of things you should have in your box(es).

Canned goods and non-perishable food items (2 week supply)
Canned meats, fish, fruit, veggies, puddings, soups, juice, bread, crackers, cookies, peanut butter & jelly, coffee, tea, dry milk, jerky, ready meals, dry cereal, chips, etc.
Bottled water (min. 5-7 gallons per person per day- 1 week)
Prescription medicines (2 weeks)
Manual can opener
Pet food
Disposable plates, cups, napkins, utensils
Paper towels and toilet paper
Duct tape
2 First aid kits (one for home/one for car) (containing): Boxes of allergy medicine, cough syrup, cough drops, Tylenol or ibuprofen, 6 bottles of hydrogen peroxide, 6 bottles of rubbing alcohol, large box of baby wipes, baby powder, eye drops, Band-Aids, rolls of gauze, gauze pads, medical tape, antibacterial ointment (Neosporin, etc), cotton balls, Imodium AD, Qtips, burn cream, scissors, tweezers, rubber gloves, etc.
Maxi pads and/or tampons
Ziploc bags
Antibacterial hand sanitizer
Anti-heartburn medicine (Tums)
Flashlights
Batteries
Portable Radio (battery operated)
Clock (battery operated)
Candles and matches
Insect repellant
Sunscreen
Plastic dish pans/tubs (for hand sanitizing and other sanitation purposes)
Plastic garbage bags
Lanterns and candle-powdered hurricane lamps
Camping stove and propane tanks
Bleach
Broom
Plywood (for boarding doors & windows)
Clean sheets and bedding (blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, etc)
Clothing and shoes
Staple or nail gun with supplies
Ice chests
Fire Extinguisher
Extra cash, credit cards, insurance papers, etc.
Full gas tank in vehicle
Map of evacuation route
Toys and games, etc. for children
Tools-(hammer, screwdriver, battery operated drills, wrenches and pliers, screws, nails, razor knife, rope, Bungee cords, rolls of plastic, tarps, rake, shovel, wheelbarrow)
Grill, charcoal, & lighter fluid
Wet weather clothing
Disposable Camera & extra film (or a digital camera & extra batteries)
Dust masks/covers
Spare set of house and car keys
Cards, books, games, etc
Valuables and irreplaceable items packed in Rubbermaid totes

The one good thing I can say about hurricanes is that, unlike in the old days, we have a bit more time to prepare. The Storm of 1900 killed thousands, destroyed everything in sight almost because they had no time to prepare... no warning system. Today we have notice when they form, and can guesstimate a path, and get busy getting ready! Granted, a few days are by no means enough time to secure your whole life… and it will always be devastating. But at least you will HAVE your life still if nothing else.

I have my boxes packed in Rubbermaid totes in my pantry. Each June 1st, I go through them and replace anything I used in the “off months”. I have a fully stocked first aid kit (which I used a BIG Craftsman tool box), a 18 gallon tote full of supplies, an 18 gallon tote of kitty supplies, the cat carriers, 2 bags of charcoal for my grill (and lighter fluid, etc), and a couple of HUGE empty water bottles to fill. All these things stay located in the same spot all season long. I buy special foods for a specially designated “Hurricane shelf” on the first as well… all the non-perishables like canned meats, pastas, pop tarts, granola bars, etc (saves room in the box LOL). I also have all our prescriptions in another plastic toolbox ready to go. Some say I am TOO prepared, but when IKE came our way… for being just after a major disaster, it wasn’t too hard (unlike for others unfortunately). I told the kids to act like we were camping. I know, I probably ruined them for life on the idea of camping, but hey it worked at the time!



I HIGHLY recommend a charcoal grill. For one, lots of people have RV’s, which have propane tanks for water heaters, etc. Many people also have propane camp stoves, and other propane operated items. So in a time of crisis, propane might be in extremely high demand but limited supply! Whereas, with a charcoal grill, light the briquettes and you are good to go! AND if you run out of briquettes, you can use fire wood (maybe even from fallen trees), etc. And don’t worry… you can do everything from grill to fry on a charcoal grill. Granted, frying is a bit more challenging LOL, but it CAN be done! I know, I fried up tons of fish for my parents during IKE. I also made pancakes, breakfast tacos, and coffee! Anything can be done on a grill if you are prepared with the right tools! Mom believes in not keeping the freezers stocked during the summer months (in the event of a disaster). I particularly don’t mind it. I had the deep freezer completely jam packed. Everything was rock hard solid, and even when the power went out, it kept very cold the whole time. We cooked stuff on the grill as it thawed so nothing went to waste. And when mom & dad brought me the fish they had in THEIR freezer, I seasoned it and grilled some, fried some (with some veg oil in my wok ON the grill), etc. Turned out pretty good actually! That’s how I got my DH to like fish LOL! You should have seen his face the first time I boiled water on the grill and made him some coffee and cocoa with breakfast LMAO! So see, I even have a few good memories out of a bad situation. But unfortunately, I have more bad ones… some still with me to this day.



Now if you have pets, I recommend a supply box for them as well. Depending on the type of animal you have, the contents will vary. BUT, I am going to share with you my box for my kitties. In this 18 gallon Rubbermaid tote, I have:

Disposable Litter pans
Cat litter
Paper bowls
Plastic forks or spoons
Canned cat food
Canned tuna
Jarred baby food meats
Dry cat food
Treats
Catnip toys
Pedialyte
Bottled water
Paper or blue shop towels
Medicines

Now you may be cocking your eyebrow and looking at the screen funny right now, BUT let me explain a couple of those things. Animals get very anxious and nervous when traveling and even more when storms are coming. They are hypersensitive to atmospheric changes. This box is designed if you must evacuate. The bowls are to put food and water in and the silverware to get the food out of the cans. The canned and dry cat foods are self explanatory. BUT sometimes, if an animal is stressed, it will not eat its regular food. You must have and try other things. So the canned tuna comes first, and if that doesn’t work, then the baby food. That works almost every time! Same thing when cats are sick. Get small jars of baby food meats and that will help them eat most of the time. The pedialyte is to make sure they get enough electrolytes and prevent dehydration. Mom calls it “Kitty Magic Water” and believe me, it works! I recommend the blue shop towels over the paper ones because they absorb more, and nothing is worse than an accident in the carrier getting all over kitty and spilling out onto your car seat! YUCK! There are probably a few other things in the box as well, but this is the basic stuff. Remember you can change the contents according to what type of animal you own. But please PLEASE PLEASE… don’t leave your little friends behind if at all possible! Wild outside animals can survive, but our inside babies cannot! Be a responsible pet owner. Thanks!



Alright, let’s talk about the first aid kit. Now it’s my firm belief that everyone, whether you have “medical training” or not, should have a fully stocked medical kit at all times. Especially if you have kids! Now the list calls for the following things, and you might be asking why on some of them, so let me explain and add to that list.

Boxes of allergy medicine- storms stir up a lot of dust, pollen, etc. and if you have allergies its good to have this. ALSO, storm rain brings mosquitoes and other bugs which bite and make you itch. Allergy meds stop the itching!

6 bottles of hydrogen peroxide, 6 bottles of rubbing alcohol, large box of baby wipes- all of these items are for sterilizing hands and items you use. Baby wipes can be used as “sponge bathing” aids in the event you have no water. The sad fact is that when it floods and storms, there is tons of pollutants floating around. You HAVE to keep things sterile to prevent very bad infections… some infections can be fatal if they get too bad! I also recommend placing a large, or some smaller bottles of Purell or other antibacterial hand sanitizer in there as well!

baby powder- this keeps the skin dry believe it or not, and when you are sweating with no AC, you want to keep the moisture at bay to prevent terrible and PAINFUL heat rashes! In addition, I would advise putting some Boudreaux’s Butt Paste in your kit too… in case you do get a bad rash, let me tell ya it will clear it up super quick! Laugh at the name all you want, but I testify to this stuff! Just like you powder a baby… baby yourself too!

Maxi pads and/or tampons- ok you may be thinking WTF is this for!? Well… god forbid you get impaled by a piece of flying debris or gushing wound! Emergency medical personnel may not be able to get to you immediately due to other life threatening calls, flood waters, etc. Paper towels and such only soak up so much blood. You use the maxi pads and tampons to stop the bleeding without using up your supply of paper towels, Band-Aids, etc! After all, that IS what they’re made for… large amounts of blood! Say you get a large cut, apply pressure to control the bleeding, place a maxi pad over the wound, and tape it down good. Its clean, covered, and the pad doesn’t stick to the wound… which means NO reopening it! Pretty smart, huh?

cough syrup, cough drops, Tylenol or ibuprofen, eye drops, Band-Aids, rolls of gauze, gauze pads, medical tape, antibacterial ointment (Neosporin, etc), cotton balls, Imodium AD, Qtips, burn cream, scissors, tweezers, rubber gloves, etc. – all this is pretty much for exactly what you think it is for… self-explanatory. Now instead of the burn cream, I actually stock packs of a burn item called Xeroform. It is a foil packet with this thin sheet of gauze like material that is covered in yellow cream which feels like petroleum jelly. You just cut however big or small a piece you need and close the foil pouch back up. It works really well.

Now that we have covered first aid, cooking, pets, and even tracking… you are asking what’s next aren’t you? LOL. Well just basic things really. Plywood is to cover your windows, tools are to fix things once the storm has passed, you get the idea. I do have a few tips to help you in the event you stay during the storm.

1. Park your car facing the direction the storm is coming from. You will get less damage (like ripped off wipers, etc) when you “act like you are driving into it”. Winds and such will roll over the top… just like when you are driving!

2. Tie everything down outside or bring it in. A common mistake people make is just leaving the things outside unsecured. In fact, your outside items can be just as deadly a flying object as a broken tree branch. And if you can’t tie it down, then bring it inside, put it under the house, etc. You also help to lessen the chance of uncovered windows being broken by flying debris!

3. Have a kid box or bag (provided you HAVE kids)… especially for evacuations! In it, stock crayons, coloring pages/books, non-electronic games or games with plenty of batteries, snacks, and movies (if you have a portable DVD player). Bubbles, car games, anything to divert their little minds is a good thing! You can have one main box, or pack each kid a duffle designed specifically for their likes. I make duffles (yes I literally sew them myself LOL- hey it’s more frugal!) for each kid. Alex has lots of batteries for his MP3 player (he loves his music), coloring books I printed out and made, plenty of colors, some of his pokemon toys, etc. Madison has more age appropriate stuff… MP3, chargers for phones, Nintendo DS, etc., travel board games, etc. Also in each bag, I have a couple bottles of water and some Kool-Aid or Lemonade sticks that you just pour into the bottled water… depending on what each kid likes. Individual snack packs of crackers, cookies, bags of chips, fruit bars, etc… again according to each child’s preference. The less stressed they are, the less stressed YOU are!

So see, there are SOME ways to “prepare” for a storm. Its never easy, but it can be easier to deal with if you are ready! So now, normally I bring you a craft idea each day… today is no exception. BUT it is going to be kind of related to this day of days. Duffle bags! I just talked about how I make my duffle bags for the kids to pack an evacu-bag. If you live somewhere that hurricanes are not an issue, then you could easily use these for overnight stays, vacations, etc. Make sure to visit the website for step by step photo instructions!



Craft Idea of the Day: Duffle Bags

Download the pattern (PDF format)

A mini duffel bag for carrying whatever you want. You could use this as a purse, an airplane carry-on or for a more specific purpose, such as my sewing bag made with print of old-fashioned sewing ads.

MATERIALS:

3/4 yard of outside fabric
3/4 yard of sturdy fabric (like twill)
3 yards of webbing for handles or a strip of fabric at least 1.5 yards long
2- 14" zippers
2- 7" zippers
3" of 1/2" velcro
matching thread.

Instructions.

Step 1: Sew the two #1 pieces of fabric together at the bottom (the long side). Use a 1/2" seam allowance. Press the seam allowance open and do the same for the lining/sturdy fabric pieces.
Step 2: Line up the fabric body and the lining body, right sides OUT. They baste together or zig-zag stitch around the edges.
Step 3: Sew the lining and fabric pieces #2 along one end, with the right sides together. Use a 1/2" seam allowance.
Step 4:Flip the piece right sides out and topstitch along the seam. Then baste or zig-zag stitch the rest of the piece together The reverse side for step 4.
Steps 5-9 are to make straps out of fabric. If you are using webbing, skip to step 10. Step 5: Cut out strap fabric. You need two strips of fabric, 3" wide by 1.5 yards long. (Or shorter if you want shorter straps).
Step 6: Take each strip and press in 1/2 lengthwise, right side out.
Step 7: Open up the strip and press the edges into the center.
Step 8: Now fold in the center again and press.
Step 9: Edgestitch along each side.
Step 10: Make one giant circle (not two circles) of strapping, stitching the two pieces end to end with zigzag stitching. Make sure you don't incorporate any twists.
Step 11: Align the joined ends of the strapping on the middle seam of the bag body (indicated by the arrows).
Step 12: Mark the strap 2.5" from the edge. Stitch on the strap following the topstitching on the strap (or where it would be if you used webbing). The stitching pattern is more apparently looking at the back (next photo). The stitching pattern used to attach the straps. It may help to use an iron-on basting tape (like Stitch Witchery) rather than pins to hold the straps in place while stitching.
Step 13: Make "lashing points" to cover up the raw strapping edges. Cut 2 of piece 7 out of either fabric or lining fabric. Fold the edges under (1/4" allowance) and press.
Step 14: Place the lashing points over the raw strapping edges.... ... and topstitch in place.
Step 15: Remembering the "right sides together" mantra, pin and sew a 7" zipper to the top edge of fabric piece # 4.
Step 16: Same deal, sew the top piece #5 to the zipper. Your end should look like this now.
Step 17: Pin the lining piece #5 to the zipper, but on the other side, and sew in place. When you fold both up both piece #5's, the zipper tape will be in the middle. (see step 19 for the finished look).
Step 18: Repeat on with lining piece #4.
Step 19: Fold all the pieces away from the zipper and press. See step 21 for the back view.
Step 20: Topstitch on both sides of the zipper.
Step 21: Move the zipper pull into the middle and stitch across both ends of the zipper tape. The back view at this point.
Step 22: Trim off the excess zipper tape.
Step 23: Lay a lining piece and fabric piece #6 right sides together and stitch with a 3/8" seam allowance around the center. Clip the curve and turn right side out. Press.
Step 24: Lay the zippered piece one top of one bag end (piece # 3). In the picture they don't line up exactly, but I've fixed the pattern so they should line up better in your bag.
Step 25: Lay the border circle over the top. Topstitch along the inner circle (the arrow is pointing to the topstitching). Zigzag stitch around the outer edge. Be sure to keep the zipper pull in the middle until you're finished.
Step 26: Sew the two 14" zippers to the top piece (from piece #2). Put the open end of the zippers at the finished edge. Remember, right sides together. Trim the seam allowance (but not the zipper tape!) to less than 1/2".
Step 27: Press the seam allowance under so the zippers lie flat.
Step 28: Fold the top edge for the zipper tape over the seam allowance and baste in place.
Step 29: Topstitch 1/4" and 1/2" away from the zipper. The seals the unfinished side edges under the zipper tape.
Step 30: Stitch a 3" strip of velcro (sticky half) to the underside of this piece between the opening end of the zippers (see step 33 for a picture).
Step 31: Fold piece #8 in half and sew up the sides with a 1/2" seam allowance.
Step 32: Turn right side out and topstitch. Stitch a 3" piece of velcro (the soft half) The other side looks like this.
Step 33: Attach the top to the bag sides. Sew the other sides of the zipper to the bag piece. Remember, right sides together. Note that becasue the finished edge of the top already has the seam allowance tucked under, the top is 1/2" shorter than the bag. So line up the unfinished edge (the one w/o velcro).
Step 34: Repeat for the other side. Now you have a barrel.
Step 35: Trim the seam allowance to less than 1/2" inch (so it is smaller than the zipper tape).
Step 36: As you did for the top piece, topstitch the zipper tape to the bag 1/4" and 1/2" away from the zipper.
Step 37: Slightly gather the ends of the bag. Do this by stitching two lines of stitching with a large stitch length very close to the end. Then pull the bobbin thread so it gathers the fabric, as below. Also, trim off the extra zipper tape at the ends. To gather the fabric, stitch two lines of stitching with a large stitch length very close to the end. Then pull the bobbin thread so it gathers the fabric, as below.
Step 38: Making sure the orientation of the pocket it corrent, pin the bag end. Start with the closed zipper end. Then stitch the end to the bag with a 1/2" seam allowance. Turn the bag right side out to make sure you are happy with the stitch, and if so, stitch again very close to the seam to make sure it is secure.
Step 39: For the open zipper end, stitch piece #8 to the bag end at the top, using a 1/2" seam allowance. The velcro will face down at this point.
Step 40: Now stitch this end to the open zipper end of the bag as in step 38. The velcro from piece #8 should stick to the velcro on the top piece.
Step 41: Use seam binding or double fold wide bias tape to finish the edges. Attach with a zigzag stitch.
Step 42: Handstitch the piece #8 to the bound seam to keep it in place. Another view of step 42. You bag is now finished! Hooray!

There are also a bunch of other great duffle bag patterns at About.com and Crafters.Org

OK folks… its time. Time to munch! Now, its chicken & pie week as you may know, so today I am going to show you a fabulous recipe for the drumstick and/thigh pieces of chicken.



Bacon-Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
12 slices center-cut bacon
salt and black pepper to taste
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pounds baby Dutch yellow potatoes

Seasoning Mix:

2 tablespoons dried chives
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Wrap each chicken piece in a slice of bacon, trying to cover as much of the chicken as possible. Place the wrapped chicken pieces in a 9x13 inch baking dish, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle the onion over the chicken. Push potatoes down into the spaces between the chicken pieces and around the edge of the dish.

Combine the chives, basil, garlic powder, adobo seasoning, and black pepper in a small bowl, and sprinkle the seasoning to taste over the chicken and potatoes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, until the bacon is crisp and brown and the potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with salt, if desired, and serve hot.



Mocha Walnut Pie

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In medium saucepan, melt chocolate and butter or margarine over low heat. Dissolve coffee in 1/4 cup hot water, then stir it into saucepan with sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour filling into pastry shell. Top with walnuts.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set. Cool.

Ok gang, I gotta get off here and get the day started. I hope my little Gulf Coast friends can use some of this information wisely. And to everyone, be safe in today’s adventures! See you tomorrow… HUGS!