Pumpkin!

There are so many reasons I love Fall.  We've already covered football and now one of the next things on my list is pumpkin.  I love everything about it - I love picking them, I love carving them, I love the way they look on a front porch and I especially love eating them!

My October blog goal was to test a pumpkin recipe everyday during the month.  31 pumpkin recipes!  That was until I came across a little snag.  Grocery stores are wiped clean of pumpkin this year.  Unbeknown to me, there is apparently a pumpkin shortage this year.  Yesterday I finally tracked some down and now I'm 10 days short of my goal.  I'll still see how many I can fit in.  I'm also going to need people to sign up to take goodies out of my kitchen because I certainly don't need to eat them all and my work folks will get tired of pumpkin.

Today's recipe is short, sweet and easy.  2 ingredients!  3 if you count water as an ingredient.

1 box of spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin
3/4 cup water

I chose to make muffins.  This recipe made 12 rather large muffins.  Smaller muffins are supposed to be just a mere 100 calories - mine are probably closer to 200, but who's counting.  I can't wait to have one tomorrow with my bowl of cereal or maybe I'll have one tonight fresh out of the oven with a slab of butter!  Or maybe I'll try spray butter - nah real butter it is.

This is so easy, fairly healthy and DELICIOUS!

What are your favorite pumpkin recipes?

Cheers!

A Little of This, A Little of That

I swear time flies!  We had a great weekend doing family stuff like going to a high school football game, getting new tires on my car, going to Costco, KK and I went to a Lia Sophia party, and we went to the Children's Museum.  We ate at home all 6 meals Saturday & Sunday which is almost unheard of for us.  We ended that streak last night with a trip to Steak & Shake for dinner.  Sometimes, especially on Mondays, I just can't muster up the energy to cook.  I will never turn down some Chili 3 Way from S&S!

We went with an Asian themed dinner on Sunday night.  I love all Asian food, especially Thai.  I don't, however, cook it very often.  I don't think you can beat take-out when it comes to Asian cuisine. Thai Cafe in Broadripple is a must! I was hoping this meal had more of a Thai flavor than it did, but it was still really good.  I had it for lunch today and it reheated well.  I do realize my picture taking abilities really hinder any desire to try the recipes I post!  Note I added some egg rolls for extra kick!

Tonight we had tortellini - out of a bag.  Spaghetti sauce - out of a jar.  Garlic bread - out of a box.  Looked a little something like this.

Most exciting news out of the weekend is that we officially have a walker on our hands!  I think little ones are so adorable when they first learn to walk.  My blog isn't liking the video I have so I'll just post some cute pics of the walker herself.

Cheers!

Some Like It, Some Don't

I have those recipes I grew up on: Mexican cornbread, tater tot casserole, breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, etc. (all to be featured at some point).  These are all things I can make that immediately make me feel like my mom is in the room.  The first time I made each of these for Hubs I expected him to fall in love with the meals as much as I had over the years.  He liked each of them, but didn't quite feel as strongly as I do.  Sometimes I think it is more about the memories as opposed to the recipe or the dish.

Tonight I made Beef Stroganoff for dinner.  This isn't a childhood recipe - my mom actually doesn't even like anything stroganoff - but anything served on egg noodles immediately makes me think of my grandma.  She made the best egg noodles!  No one has ever been able to recreate those.

Even though I didn't grow up on it, I do enjoy a big crockpot full of Beef Stroganoff from time to time.  Again, Hubs doesn't typically feel the same.  Today he finally told me why - it takes him back to a Manchester College cafeteria and apparently the memories of that meal aren't too fond.  He did, however, tell me that mine is at least better than Manchester's.  :)

So if you're ever in the mood for a good Stroganoff, here's the recipe!


2 pounds cubed stew meat

2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup (if you can't find it, cream of mushroom works just as well)

1 large onion diced

4 Tbls of Worcestershire
1/2 water

8 oz of cream cheese
couple of dashes of Garlic Salt

couple dashes of Hot Paprika

In the slow cooker stir in all the ingredients, except the meat AND the Cream Cheese, together. Once combined add the meat and mix together.

Cook on Low for 8 hours. Cut up the cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn crockpot on high. Stir the cream cheese in until all combined. You might have to put the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles.

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Sandwiches

If you thought Monday's suggestion was easy, this one is even better!  I typically make Italian beef sandwiches once a month during the fall and winter months.  I grew up on it and still love it as much each time I make it.  When I do the Italian beef I take a 3lb roast, add a bottle of Italian dressing and a can of beer.  Let it cook all day on low in the slow cooker and shred when I get home.  I thought to start off this season I would try a different spin. This new method is especially friendly to a low carb diet.  I think in the end it's a tie between which one I like better - give 'em both a try!

Pepperoncini Shredded Beef Sandwiches

3lb Roast of your choice - whatever is cheapest!

1 16oz jar of pepperoncini peppers

Provolone Cheese (or whatever cheese you & yours enjoy)

French rolls

Put the beef in a slow cooker, add the jar of peppers undrained, turn on low, go about your day, come back 8 hours later and it's done!  Shred with 2 forks and put on the rolls with the provolone.  Add a few of the peppers if ya like - that's how Hubs does it!

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Caesar Chicken Sandwiches

A great easy dinner to start off the work week.  I put 2 lbs of chicken breasts in the crock pot this morning with a cup of chicken stock and let it cook away on low while I was at work.  When I came home, I added a bottle of Caesar dressing, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and a bit of black pepper.  Served on buns with lettuce - yum!

Here's the credit for the recipe.  I'd love to say that I come up with recipes, but sadly I'm not that creative.  Not sure what I would do without the Internet!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

adapted from Betty Crocker


2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle of your favorite Caesar Dressing (I used Kraft)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (I skipped this, just not a fan of fresh parsley)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

12 french hamburger buns or buns of your choice (about 2 1/2 inch)

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker, cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon. Place on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds.

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I only used about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30-35 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto lettuce in each bun and serve!


Cheers!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Clearly my photography could be improved!  Regardless of the picture, this soup is a must try for the fall and winter.  This was my first attempt at homemade chicken noodle soup, all the way down to the stock.  I have to say everyone enjoyed it!  Give it a try and serve with a big loaf of french bread.  It made A LOT!  We had it for dinner, lunch and there is a big container leftover in the freezer.

4 bay leaves


3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 2 1/2 to 3-pound fryer (chicken), cut up

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

3 1/2 quart water

kosher salt and pepper to taste



For Step 2:

2 cups sliced carrots

2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops

2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

1/3 cup cooking sherry

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Seasoned Salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

crusty french bread, for serving



Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Recipe courtesy of www.pauladeen.com


Cheers!

Shop 'til I Drop

www.annetaintor.com

Ha - this is the old me!  When I was in college and immediately after I shopped A LOT.  I would rather shop and buy great clothes & shoes as opposed to groceries.  Today the majority of our money is spent at Kroger.  I still, however, love to shop.  I love the mall, I love outlet malls, and I especially love online shopping.  My priorities though are different.   I now would much rather buy clothes and shoes for our 2 precious little girls.  There is nothing better than buying great clothes and swimsuits you don't have to try on yourself!

I've always been one that wants an item that is out of the ordinary.  I remember in high school I had my mom take me to a consignment store in Owensboro, KY to buy my prom dress.  I was terrified that I would walk into prom with the same dress as someone else.  I like the challenge of finding something unique, I like those pieces that are one of a kind, and I never want to match someone else in the room!

Since becoming a mom, there are days I feel like I've lost my fashion spunk.  I look down and I've worn the same pair of black pants 3 times in the same week.  I have shoes that I'm coloring in with sharpie marker while sitting at my desk (ala Pretty Woman style).  My closet and dresser have gotten "tired". 

So this weekend we were at the Penrod Art Fair and I came across a necklace that shouted my name.  I knew I had to have it, I knew that I would find just the right outfit for it, but I also knew that my priorities now are a bit different.  So I walked away, I said to Hubs "I'll keep looking."  As we were getting to leave I walked back by the area and said: "I don't think I'm going to get it, how often would I actually wear it?" As I was wallowing in my own lack of decision making, I didn't even notice that Hubs had wandered off.  He went and bought that great necklace, knowing I need my spunk back.

Thanks Hubs for helping me with my spunk! 

Cheers!

Football Recipes

I've been MIA - it's been a very long week!  We had a great Labor Day weekend followed by a week of the sickies, and honestly I'm still not 100%.  The stomach flu ravaged our house, my parent's house and my brother's house.  I've done more laundry than I can count and am still trying to get this place back to normal.

Before the sickness hit, we had our fantasy football draft.  I thought I would share with you a few recipes I tested out for the occassion.

Crescent Cocktail Dogs

These aren't original, but they are a staple on draft day around here.  I simply used a tube of crescent rolls and a package of cocktail dogs.  This year I discovered that Pillsbury now makes crescent rolls in a full sheet as opposed to the cut up triangles - this makes this recipe even easier!






Chocolate Chip Dip

1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), softened


1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

                                          Graham cracker sticks (I used Scooby Doo)
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

1 (2.1-oz.) package fully cooked bacon slices
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
2 cups (8 oz.) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sliced fresh chives
2 teaspoons hot sauce

Garnishes: cooked, crumbled bacon; sliced fresh chives; freshly cracked pepper


Microwave bacon according to package directions until crisp; drain on paper towels. Cool 10 minutes; crumble. Stir together bacon and next 4 ingredients. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours before serving. Garnish, if desired. Serve with crispy, warm waffle fries.

I'm going to try and make this an early night to hopefully start the next week refreshed.

Cheers!

Southwest Corn Salsa

It's Labor Day weekend!  How it is September 2 already I will never know.  Thought I would share a favorite recipe of mine for get-togethers.  Happy Labor Day weekend!

Southwest Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

4 cans Corn (15 Oz.), Drained


1 can Chopped Chilies (4 Oz), Drained

1 can Chopped Jalapenos (4 Oz), Drained

1 can Black Beans (15 Oz. Can), Drained And Rinsed

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 bunch Scallions, Chopped

1 cup Sour Cream

1 bag Finely Grated Mexican Cheese (8 Oz)

½ bunches of cilantro (I typically omit this)
 
Drain corn, chilies and jalapenos. Put in a large bowl with the beans and tilt the bowl on its side while you chop the other veggies. Add the rest of the veggies and drain – there will be liquid accumulated in the bowl. Stir in the sour cream and grated cheese. Add the cilantro last.


You must eat this dip with Fritos Scoops or lime Tostitos.

Courtesy of:

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/southwest-corn-dip/


Cheers!





 
 

Random Disney Thoughts

We're back!  Got home last night after 11:00pm and headed back to work and daycare today.  Needless to say I do not exactly feel "rested".  We had a terrific time - KK giggled from the time we got on the plane Friday morning until we landed last night.  She hardly napped and rarely slept past 7:00 am.  She had the time of her life, although if you asked her today about her favorite part of the trip she would most likely say "pizza".  To me the reason people go to Disney is to see the look on their kiddos faces at each turn - it is something that I cannot describe.  For me, however, I've had enough Disney for a few years.  My ideal vacation involves hot sunshine, oceans, sand, sparkling pools and frosty beverages.  It is not walking over 5 miles a day in 110 degree heat trying to find Belle or the Beast.  Over the course of the few days where we visited Disney Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom I came away with a few observations, tips, random thoughts, and stuff not blog appropriate!  I tried to hire this note taker so I wouldn't forget anything, but as you can imagine she became easily distracted.

1. Florida at the end of August is HOT!
2. The end of August, however, is a great time to go to Disney.  We rarely waited more than 10 minutes to ride a ride, see a show, or have a picture taken with a famous character.

3. They serve beer at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios - not at Magic Kingdom.
4. They serve turkey legs at each park and I laughed each time I saw someone eating one - why because I'm not the most mature person around.
5. Disney is one of the most organized and cleanest places I have ever been.
6. We took our own cooler in each day with snacks, waters, diet cokes & capri suns and it was nothing short of brilliant.  We saved a fortune and had drinks readily available at all times.
7. There are many articles of clothing that should not be made in the size I saw them in.  I did not understand some of the outfits I saw - clearly many hotel rooms do not have mirrors.
8. We got stuck on "It's a Small World" due to a technical difficulty - thankfully it was only for about 5 minutes - but it seemed like 45.
9. KK sang "London Bridges" every single time we crossed a bridge.
10. We enjoyed every show and parade that we saw - to me the best part of each park.
11. It is true that you have to make reservations for meals with characters up to 180 days in advance.  If you call Disney to ask them if you can be the exception 3 days before you leave, they will laugh at you. 
12. We really enjoyed Downtown Disney - great shops, live music & cool restaurants.
13. Rainforest Cafe serves a margarita with a corona served upside down in it - it was amazing!!

14. Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios were sufficient at a 1/2 day.
15. We spent over 12 hours at Magic Kingdom.
16. We rode the carousel 4 times, it was the highlight for KK.

17. We stayed at the Omni at ChampionsGate which was a fantastic hotel (this is where Hubs conference was located), but if we were to do it just as a Disney trip I would stay at one of the Disney properties.  View from our room:

And this is how we felt about being back today:

Cheers!

Too Excited To Sleep

Going to Disney World!!!!!

It's been a busy day and I think the fact we're leaving for Disney World in 2 days has officially hit me - so it's going to be a short post because I need to think about getting organized! 

Today:

Woke up
Weighed myself - down 8.5 lbs on day 14 of the 17 day diet
Went to work
Had lunch with the Hubs at Panera
Went to Target to buy items for our trip
Went back to work
Got a 30 minute massage, had a consultation and an X-ray to determine why my sciatic nerve dislikes me
Came home to this

Ate this

Chicken Sausage & Green Peppers and Onions

And will spend the next hour or so planning for this



Cheers!

What's On The Table?

Up to this point my diet has been a bit bland with chicken and pork and fish - not much to write about in terms of food.  Tonight I resurrected one of our old time favorites for dinner - Bruschetta Chicken!

Bruschetta Chicken

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided
1 tomato, finely chopped (I use a can of diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup Shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I use a tablespoon of dried basil)

Heat grill to medium heat.

Cover half the grill grate with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

Place chicken on uncovered side of grill; cover with lid. Grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

Turn chicken over; place on foil. Top with tomato mixture. Grill, covered, grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).

I'm typically not much of a veggie person, but I'm trying.  I'll be honest there are many times I'd rather not eat as opposed to only eating vegetables.  I want our kids to be better veggie eaters than I am, so I'm making an effort to put more on the table.  A few weeks ago while "camping" I was introduced to this amazing seasoning: Morton Nature's Seasons.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This has completely changed my view on vegetables.  A little olive oil and this deliciousness and I'm sold.  Check it out!
 
Cheers...

Weekend Roundup

First football game of the season Friday night - unfortunately the Greenwood Woodmen suffered their first loss.  Despite the loss, we all had a great time at the game and I think for the first time in my life I ate a salad at a football game - darn 17 Day Diet.  The girls went home with my parents after the game and Hubs & I headed home to get a good night's sleep.  Our plan was to get up early and vacuum the pool before heading to Evansville.  Needless to say a night without children we didn't awake until 9:30 - I can't tell you the last time we slept until 9:30 - it was AMAZING! 

We head off to Evansville around noon - make it to 465 and I realize I have forgotten my outfit for Aquapoolooza - whoops sorry Hubs we had to turn around.  The typical 3 hour trip to Evansville took us 5 hours due to horrible construction delays on 70 - never going that way again!

We make it to Evansville just in time for the start of Aquapoolooza II and boy was it a great time!!!

Great live entertainment, great food (which I had to ignore), and great friends - what more can you ask for!

Now technically on the 17 Day Diet there is no alcohol for the first 17 days, but apparently the doctor who authored the book hasn't been to Aquapoolooza.  I'm a beer girl, always have been always will be, but I know beer is not the best choice when low carb is the goal.  I had to come up with a Plan B for my buddies at the party who are also participating in the diet.  Here is what I came up with:

Skinny Jeans Mojito

Rum
Blackberries
Blueberries
Mint
Truvia
Club Soda

Verdict:  Quite tasty, but a lot of work to make.

The John Daly

Seagrams Sweet Tea Vodka
Crystal Light Lemonade

Verdict:  WINNER  WINNER!!

Strawberry Lemonade

Parrot Bay Strawberry Rum
Crystal Light Lemonade

Verdict:  Scrumptious - a must try!

There's still a lot of summer left so when you need a refreshing cocktail I highly recommend one of those above.

Cheers!

Are You Ready For Some Football???

Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.

Vince Lombardi

It's officially football season.  My favorite time of year!  Football is all I've ever known - born to love it.  I love cool Friday nights at high school games.  I love tailgating at college games or watching them from the comforts of our couch on Saturday afternoons.  I especially love Sunday afternoons watching our beloved Colts.  I love the game and everything that goes along with it: concession stands, tailgating, chili, ice cold beer, fall weather, friends, and family.  I must note that I have won our fantasy league, the BFL (Bartenbach Football League) twice.  Yes, a girl has been the Super Bowl champion twice.  Next time you see Hubs, ask him how many times he's won.

KK loves going to football games.  It's hard to believe she's already been thru 2 seasons.


Season 1



Season 2





It's hard to believe that last season I was pregnant with Rea Rea and now I'm already planning her first birthday party.  I'm certain she will love football the same as her sister. 

Tomorrow night we'll be down in Greenwood cheering on my brother and Greenwood High School.  They play Columbus East - yes they have the #1 quarterback in the country who just signed with IU.  Should be a great Friday night!

Cheers...

Million Miles a Minute

My grandma used to say to me "you're going a million miles a minute!"  That's when I was 5 and now at 32 I'm going even faster.  I feel really busy, but am I really busy?  I feel lazy, but am I lazy?  I start a million tasks, but rarely finish one.  I can't remember what I'm doing from one minute to the next.

I am at my computer a lot, and when I am not working, emailing, blogging, playing Words with Friends, Pinteresting and Facebooking, I am on the phone, texting, running errands, chasing kids, cooking and generally busy with my family and my home. Keeping house is not my highest priority. My friends all know this to be true. It is not a virtue, I confess. I become absorbed with life and and my projects that housekeeping falls by the wayside.  I have a cleaning lady and then I fire the cleaning lady because I want her to do housework better than I would do it.  So I decide I can just do it myself, but I never do!


For my grandma, keeping the house in order was a top priority. My grandma had an active family, but kept an orderly home. She did not make having children an excuse to be sloppy. But then, she did not have a computer and did not spend hours a day working, blogging, and Facebooking. She organized her time and never wasted a minute.

I'm going to try that.  I'm going to stop wasting so much time just wasting time.  Starting today I'm going to get organized.  I'm going to regain control of this house.  I'm going to file all of my recipes.  I'm going to clean out my closet.  I'm going to clean out my kid's closets. I'm going to actually cross things off my to do list at work and at home.  I'm going to get the garage back in order so I can park in it.  I'm going to make time to exercise.  I am going to slow down and focus!  Stay tuned...

Cheers!

Blessings

First an update for the end of Week 1 of the 17 Day Diet - down 6 lbs!!  With the radical change my diet has experienced, I would have expected a 20 lb loss, but I'll take 6.  Trekking forward into this new healthy lifestyle.  For those I promised menus and recipes to, that will start soon.  I need to get a bit more organized and continue to figure out how to cook like this.  Let's face it those recipes that I typically use aren't exactly on the 17 day plan.

On the topic of food and eating , I think it is something that most of us take for granted.  We go to the store, buy a cart full of groceries, spend $100 and think nothing of it. Heck, half the time we end up throwing a portion of it away.  We stop on the way home from work and pick up something convenient, give our kids choices at dinner and send our kids to school with a full stomach each morning.  Our kids have a snack cabinet full of healthy and unhealthy choices that they can freely pick from when they're hungry.  This, however, is not the case for many kids in our city, state, country.  We all are aware of those children that suffer in other countries, but we rarely talk about those who live right down the street from us.

I grew up in a family where giving back came naturally.  My dad participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters, my mom donated her time freely and often, my dad took in any kid that was struggling, and those are things that have stayed present in my mind as I've become an adult.

We, personally, have spent a lot of time trying to figure how best to give back.  We are clearly blessed and have so many things to be thankful for and so many things that we take for granted.  It's easy to take the approach of "oh I'm just one person, what can I really do." 

After a lot of time and a lot of research we chose to adopt an IPS school for the Blessings in a Backpack program.  Every school in the Indianapolis Public School system qualifies for the Federal free breakfast and lunch program and a high percentage of children qualify to participate in this program.  This means that for many young students the only meals they receive are breakfast and lunch Monday - Friday.  They come to school hungry each morning and starving after a long weekend of few if any meals.  The Blessings in a Backpack program sends a backpack of food home each weekend of the school year with these students. In those schools that have been fortunate enough to particiapte in this program the results have been outstanding:  Test scores go up and problems go down when children come to school fed and ready to learn each Monday morning.  It costs just $80 to feed a child for an entire school year - that is less than most of us spend on one weeks worth of groceries.

We chose a middle school in Broadripple with hopes of raising enough money to feed 175 kids this school year.  In this school, 100% of the children qualify for the federal meal program - 100%!  Our fundraising efforts have been slower than we expected, but we know we are doing the right thing.  Even if we can impact the lives of 50 kids, it will be more than worth it.

For more information check out their site:

http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/home

Tomorrow Buffalo Wild Wings in Broadripple is sponsoring a give back night for us.  15% of all those meals purchased showing our flyer will go towards the fundraising efforts.  If you're in the area, come out and join us!

Cheers...

Cheap Composting

I'm anything but GREEN. I don't recycle, I use way too much plastic, I think organic is great but rarely buy it, and I don't pay much attention to what I buy or where I buy it. Chris aka Hubs, drives a huge SUV and I drive something somewhere in the middle. Needless to say we leave plenty of room for improvement.

For the past year or so I've been wanting to start my own garden - why, I have no idea. I like the idea of fresh tomatoes and typically those at my local grocery store are just a day past green. I've also taken an interest into the idea of composting- why, again I have no idea. Maybe my subconscious is telling me to do something good for the environment or maybe I want to give a good jump start to my 1st garden next spring. I've been asking Hubs for a compost bin for quite awhile and he looks at me like "oh great another one of your incredible ideas." And a good compost bin starts at around $100 which is pricey for "one of my incredible ideas". So I decided I would build my own on a budget. With a little google research I found a way to start my compost in a cheap trash can housed in the corner of our driveway.

I rounded up some "green" and "brown" waste products

Drilled holes in my trashcan (clearly we need to have our driveway repaved - geez!)

Added the items to the trashcan and found a cute little helper to assist in the watering (make sure your helper wears her shades on top of her head - that's the only way this will work).

And there you have it - a compost bin for under $15. I'm collecting green and brown waste throughout each day and then my helper and I go out and throw them in the bin each evening.

Stay tuned to see how this experiment goes.

Tomorrow morning ends week 1 on Cycle 1 of the 17 Day diet. I have to say I'm feeling healthier and eating more items that can contribute to my compost pile as opposed to a landfill somewhere.

Can I Become a Blogger??

I'm going to give this blog thing a whirl. Mostly at the urging of my best friend because she thinks I'm interesting, entertaining, exciting, and cook a lot (I'm hoping to prove her right). She might just see that we eat a lot of cereal, our house is often a center for chaos, I run around like a crazy person, and rarely shower on the weekends! We also just started the 17 day diet series and need to keep each other updated on progress and recipe ideas.

Several years ago we started our own little fictional craft company called JaCkS Crazy Crafts - so I'm hoping this blog will inspire me to spend some time crafting and being a bit more creative.

I'm hoping along the way that I pick up a few followers and learn a thing or two about myself. My goal is to end each evening that I'm in town with a post. I hope it keeps you entertained and it helps me keep a better record on the daily happenings of our crazy world.

I'm throwing out the disclaimer now that I'm anything but a good writer - I'm an accountant. Please don't critique my grammar. I will probably keep my blog a secret from my English major dad - ha!

So sit back and grab a glass of wine or cup of coffee (depending on the time of day!) and follow along.....Cheers!