Merry Late Christmas and Happy New Year!

I know I've been gone awhile, Santa was quite demanding this year and had me doing to many things all at once! I.need.sleep. And a clean house. We went out of town and just got back in yesterday and my house is knee deep in toys in every room.

RIDICULOUS!

I have the next couple of days that are going to be busy, and lots of wine drinking to do. Kidding! Well kinda... But I just wanted to stop in real quick and tell all of you

Merry (late) Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed holiday! My family and I sure did and can't wait to bring on the New Year!

Love, Kirby

The "Bestest" Cheeseburger Soup

Bestest.

Is that even a word? Not so sure, but in my vocabulary it sure is! That's the first word that comes to mind when I take a bite out of this soup. The Bestest.

It is cold here. I mean a bitter-10-degrees-cold. That's just ridiculous Mother Nature. Poo on you for the time being! I don't see how people up North can handle this kind of cold all of the time! When it's this cold out, you have to make soup just to warm you up. It's a rule. So I have one for ya to try out and to warm you up on days and nights like these!

(Such a festive soup, huh?)

"Bestest" Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb ground turkey, or beef-cooked and drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp each of basil and parsley

4 tbs. butter

32 oun. of low sodium chicken broth

4 c. diced potatoes (dice small)

1/4 cup flour

8 oun. Velveeta, cubed

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 c fat free, or regular, sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Brown your meat in a big pot that you will use for your soup. As that is cooking in a small pan, melt 1 tbs of butter and add in your onion, basil and parsley. Cook until onion is tender. In your pot with the beef in it, add in the onions, broth, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. In the same pan you used for the onions melt your remaining 3 tbs of butter and add in your flour, stirring constantly to make a roux. Let this go for about 3-5 mintues stirring the whole time until thick. Add in with your soup and stir until all mixed throughout to thicken it up a bit. We don't want no runny soup here tonite! Bring to a boil again and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add in your cubed Velveeta and milk. Once the Velveeta has melted take your soup off the stove and add in your sour cream. Stir until all is mixed up and you are good to go!

Garnish with croutons, I used Cheese Garlic ones, this is a must! It tastes so good with the croutons in it! Promise! 

Hope this one warms yall's little bottoms up for a bit!

This has been linked up Tuesday Night Supper Club and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Kirby

Crockpot Apple Butter Ribs with Couscous

Oh.My.Gosh.

This is probably one of my favorite suppers now! I was feeling a little on the lazy side yesterday and was thinking okay, time to break out the crock pot and let it do the job for me! And did it ever! Luckily I had some country style ribs sitting in my freezer and I came across this recipe awhile back that I had saved. I found it over at Crock Pot Recipe Exchange. I had everything to make this and so that's just what I did! So easy and so so good! It really tasted like it had been on the smoker all day long but had that hint of Apple Butter in it. It ended up shredding up, but that's okay because I had a box of Near East Parmesan Couscous in my pantry so I just cooked some of that to go along with it.

Hubs doesn't like couscous, I just love the stuff! There's nothing to it either to make it! I noticed after he ate, the couscous was still on his plate. I shoved it down the garbage disposal mumbling under my breath as I was doing it, I won't share with you the comment I made. He's a freak! How can you not like couscous, it's so....fun! Yea, we'll go with that.

Alongside with the ribs and the couscous that my picky husband didn't touch I made green bean casserole and some Sister Schubert Dinner Rolls. God Bless that woman and her rolls! Those are the best darn rolls ever, shoot forget making em' homemade when they are that easy and good! I picked up a big package of them from Sam's the other day and I'm almost tempted to go stick some in the oven right now. Then I'd have to share with Hayden and Sadie and I don't feel like sharing today. Forget it, I'll go make me some toast. Maybe they won't hound me for that. I swear they eat 3 breakfasts every morning. Theirs, Mine, and whatever they can climb up in the pantry and find. I need to find me a lock for that door...maybe I'll do that today, I already have one on my fridge. (Mind you, it' also very irritating to try to open the door and forget theirs a lock on it.)

But now back to my awesome dinner I'm bragging about today, it was nothing that I had to slave over and it tasted like I did! So you have GOT to try it! Please I beg of you...I did not change a thing, made it just like the recipe stated, the only thing I didn't do was make the gravy to go along with it because it was just right the way it was! Now the pic does not do it any justice but trust me on this one...

3 lbs boneless pork country style ribs (Mine was almost 3 1/2 lbs)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 medium onion sliced

1/2 cup apple butter (Okay I think I added about a cup of this!)

2 tbs packed brown sugar

1 tbs liquid smoke

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Spray your crock pot with non-stick spray and place your ribs inside of it. Top with onions. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients and pour over ribs and onions. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. (That's all it took for mine) After the 8 hours, I just took 2 forks to it and shredded it right then and there. Serve by itself, with couscous, or rice.

 I know what's for lunch...but now I need to go make me some toast and hide out.

Have a fabulous day!

I'm linking this up with Foodie Friday, What's Cookin in the Kitchen, and Potluck Sunday

Kirby Nicole

Smokey Baked Beans

I love beans. I really do. You can add them into so many meats, soups, casseroles and really get away with it. Almost. That is until your 5 year old sighs and says, "Eww beans again, I don't want this anymore!" and shoves her plate off to the side.

That's when mean ole Mom says "I don't care, you will eat it or it goes to the dog and he can chow down on it and be happy and you will go to bed hungry because I refuse to make anything else!"

or this one really gets her

"Oh, look at Hayden eating her dinner with the beans in it, she's a big girl and she gets whatever dessert she wants after dinner!"  Hayden then precedes to look at her and laugh.

That usually does it!

She'll put on her pouty face and scoot her plate back in front of her and try to argue with, "Well what if I eat 5 more bites, then I get dessert?" I roll my eyes and say fine. I don't have the energy to argue with it anymore. Brat...

So even though I do add beans to alot of my dinners and even through the complaining, this is one recipe right here that she will gladly eat every time. All of them do actually. Even baby Sadie does, or she wears it, I can't exactly tell which one she does. I wanted some baked beans one day but alot of beans always calls for some type of bacon or meat in it and I didn't have any so I started just putting a little bit of this and that into a bowl, baked it and was actually kinda surprised how well it turned out. You still get the smokey flavor in it as if I did add some bacon in with it and that's what I like! Plus its super cheap to make and a perfect side to anything!

I used a 28 oun can of Great Value Pork and Beans and then 1 (15 oun) of the same kind of beans for this. So 43 ounces of Baked Pork and Beans! Ok it's all I had in my pantry, okay?
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 small onion, chopped
3 tbs prepared yellow mustard
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs liquid smoke (A must, trust me!)
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper

Set your oven to 325. In a large bowl combine all of your ingredients (Do not drain the beans) Spray your casserole dish. (I use this medium size oval circle bowl, any medium size dish would work) Pour your beans into it and pop it into the oven. Now this is kinda the pain in the butt part. Your going to cook it for a total of 2 hours but every 20-25 minutes give it a quick stir. Do I always remember to do it every 20 minutes? Nope, then I run into the kitchen and beans have exploded everywhere. I'm kidding. But it just keeps them from sticking to much, I don't even take them out of the oven, just stir and close the door back up! After 2 hours take them out, stir again and let sit for a couple of minutes or you could chance burning your tongue off. Whichever.

I happen to need my tongue to stick out at my children.

I'm such a mature mother that teaches my kids such great things that they will carry with them throughout life.

This has been linked up to



Kirby

Pizza Chili Soup...

Yep that's right, Pizza Chili Soup, why is it called that you ask? Because I can't figure out if it's more of a chili or more of a soup so I figured I would let yall decide on that one! But I can tell you it's dang good and it's filling! And super easy, basically you just dump everything into the pot and ta da...done in thirty! I threw in a loaf of frozen garlic bread in the oven to serve with it and I don't think I could have eaten it without it. This is perfect for a cold night and when you just don't feel like making a crust for a pizza but still want pizza...

Does that make any sense???

Ok yes that's what I thought.

1 lb ground turkey meat, or ground beef (I had already made this and froze it so I just let it thaw out and threw it in the pot with everything else) drained

1 small onion, chopped (this was also already added in the meat beforehand)

1 jar (16 oun) pizza sauce (used Great Value brand)

1 (8 oun) can of tomato sauce

1 (16 oun) can of Great Northern Beans

1 can Italian stewed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups of chicken broth, you could use water if you wanted to

Pepperoni (I used half the package so more or less depending on how much you like)

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 tbs Italian seasoning

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tsp basil

1 tsp each ground pepper and salt

mozzarella cheese

Cook your meat and onion together, drain. In a big pot, add in your beans, sauces, tomatoes, broth, seasonings and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until thick. Top with cheese and serve with garlic bread.

Oh so good!

This has been linked up with Tuesday Night Supper Club

and

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Kirby

Rosemary Turkey

So yesterday was the last day for my $35 CSN Giveaway and thru True Random Generator the winner was.......


laxsupermom!!!! Congrats!!!

She said:

This year, in this economy, I'm most thankful that my wonderful hubs still has a job that affords me the luxury of staying home with my kids every day.

I sent you an email! Enjoy shopping!!!

We didn't make it home with any leftovers from Thanksgiving....grrr....That's the best part! So I had actually bought a turkey the week before for really cheap and we thawed that sucker out and made our own turkey on Sunday! With plenty of leftovers! We actually kinda had a little feast of our own. Everything turned out great! This was only my second time of making a turkey and I get nervous making one because I think of "Christmas Vacation" where "Clark" goes to cut the turkey and it splits in half because it is so dried out, one of my favorite movies of all time I might add, but fortunately it hasn't happened to me...yet. I found this recipe off of Allrecipes last year and I love it, I did not change a thing! The rosemary makes your whole house smell so good! And there isn't alot to it either. It makes for one darn good turkey!

See even that little Santa Baby Freak back there can't keep her hands off of it!

Hey you, Santa Baby Freak, get your hands off my Turkey!! She looks like a little Oompa Loompa dressed up as Santa!

Oompa Loompa doompadee doo...

I've been a bad little Oompa dee Doo...

I should be a song writer....

*still laughing...

Ok I have waaayy to much time on my hands today...

Anyways, here is the way to make a Rosemary Turkey.

3/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

salt to taste

1 (12 pound) whole turkey

Preheat oven to 325.In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside. Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick, being careful not to tear the skin. Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 180.

Pure Awesomeness right there! Make sure to save some of the broth to make your own gravy out of it!

Alright gotta go dig a whole roll of toilet paper out of the toilet now, yall have a great day! That dang Oompa Loompa Santa Baby Freak has stuck once again....

This has been linked up with Potluck Sunday

Kirby



Chimi Chimi!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, ate lots and had to go put on their pajama pants afterwards! Mine was good except...

I got sick.

Well of course, you forget my house is cursed with sickness all the way around! All I know is I went over to my in-laws house and was feeling just fine and by the time I left my throat was sore and I had no voice! It's probably because I was at my in-laws! Du, du,du, dummmmm.

I'm kidding!

I'm totally blaming it on work, the night before I was working and there were kids coming in with snot faces so it was one of them, I should go hunt them down and give them a Kleenex and tell them to quit getting me sick! And to wipe their boogers! I'm pretty sure it was just a sinus infection, my voice is still cutting out and sounding hoarse and now I'm coughing. Ya know the worst thing is waking up in the middle of the night coughing so hard you feel like your choking. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. with a cough drop still in my mouth. Good thing I didn't choke, huh? I was desperate to stop, even if it meant choking on a cough drop while I'm sleeping. I didn't do the whole Black Friday thing, but I did have to go to Walmart Friday afternoon to get medicine and still managed to put a printer, Tupperware dishes, "The Notebook" movie and Peppermint body wash in my basket. It's amazing what I go in for and come out with!

Off my sickness and shopping habits now and on to my chimis! I had one of those nights last week where I was searching in the pantry for something, anything, or whatever! Jeff was over at a friends house watching football and I was bored so why not come up with something to cook up? I started grabbing things out of the freezer, fridge and pantry and came out with this:

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb ground turkey (or beef) cooked and drained

1 lb pork sausage cooked and drained

1 onion, chopped small

1 can cream of potato soup (used Campbell's)

1 (6 oun) can green chili's, drained

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp each salt and pepper

cheese

tortillas (I think I was able to get 10 chimis, soft taco size torts)

vegetable oil

Garnish:

Lettuce

Sour Cream

Hot Sauce

Cheese

Or whatever else makes you go pitter patter

Cook your meats and onion together until done, drain. Add in your cream of potato soup, green chili's, and seasonings. Stir around until heated through. Lay out your flour tortilla on your counter and put some of your mix in the middle of the tort, top with some cheese and fold in the corners on all side to make a pocket. If it won't fold together and wants to come undone, you have it to full, so take a little bit out until it does all close up. It should look like this:

Do this until all the mixture is done, or if you have little ones like me, I saved enough for a quesadilla and just put the meat mix and cheese on some tort's and they chowed it down! A little easier to eat for a 1 and 2 year old! Heat a little bit of oil, enough to cover the bottom of a skillet, on medium until heated up. Place your chimi in the pan seam side down first for about a minute or until golden brown, flip and do the same thing to the other side and repeat with all of them until done. Top with whatever you like and there ya go! Easy homemade chimi's! The sausage in it really did make it taste really good and the chunks of potato from the soup-even better. I wish I had one right now actually. I might be making these again sometime this week, they were that good! 

Gobble this up Turkey Eaters! Ya know you want to!

This is linked up with Tuesday Night Supper Club and

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Kirby

Oh, oh, almost forgot tomorrow is the last day for my CSN Giveaway so head on over there and enter to win, not alot of you have entered yet so there is a fantastic chance of you winning!Maybe. It is the holidays, every little bit counts!

Creamy "Tatoes

Well here it is, the day before the big Turkey Day! Already! That's crazy! It seems like I was just scarfing down the kids Halloween candy....

Oh wait, I still am....what's left of it anyways.

I did my grocery shopping last night. No way was I taking 3 kids to Walmart the day before Thanksgiving. You couldn't pay me enough to do that. Crazy people come out with their 2-3 cart fulls and might run me down!

My kids need me in their life. Not run down by a grocery cart.

Were going over to my in-laws for Thanksgiving this year so the only thing I am taking is my Mac n' Cheese and my family's Sweet Potato Casserole. (It should be illegal, it's that good!) and some Mashed Potatoes, or as Riley calls them "Tatoes. So I thought I would let yall in on how I make mine. I really don't think you can wrong with any mashed potatoes, there's nothing to them, but I could eat bowl fulls of it. Literally. It's one of my Top 10 favorite things to eat! I actually take a blender to mine to make them that much more creamier. I don't even have to have gravy with them. I like the texture better, but that's my opinion, and its a Free Country so I'm entitled!

Kidding...

So if you would rather just mash yours with your masher, go right on ahead, I'll turn my head and pretend I don't see you doing it!

5-6 large baking potatoes

1 can (10 oun) evaporated milk

4 tbs butter (or more if ya like!)

Plenty of salt and pepper

Water (Who knew?)

Peel your potatoes and cute them in little small pieces. They just cook more evenly and better that way. Put your diced potatoes in a large pot and feel with water, at least a couple of inches above the potatoes. Boil until your spoon cuts right thru them easy. (About 20-25 minutes or so) Drain your water. Put your butter in the pot to start melting as your draining the potatoes. Add in your potatoes. Start adding in your salt and pepper. Really I'm leaving this one up to yall on how much. I like mine to be a little salty, not alot but enough to tell their is some in their. I have to taste it a couple of times before I know when to stop. Take out your mixer and start blending your 'tatoes on medium speed. Gradually add in your evaporated milk. I never use the whole can I do it until I think it's the right consistency. Creamy just as creamy can be!

That's their is to it. Not a whole lot, how can something this easy be so good? I don't know! The biggest pain the butt part is the peeling and cutting!

Riley came home with this the last Friday on her last day of school before her break and the teacher gave me a heads up that I was going to find something in her backpack really amusing. I took it out and laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more. I think my child is on to something here. She's only 5 and to me that's pretty good for a 5 year old to think of some of the things she said. So get ready and take notes on

How to Roast a Turkey

(In a 5 year old's point of view!)

Now I can't say I will be following these instructions, but it is something I will keep for life! 

Hope all of you have an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving day! I have so much to be thankful for this year and every year! Eat lots of turkey and then go take a nap!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your Family!

Love, Kirby

Also I still have my $35 CSN Giveaway going on until November 30. Only 3 people so far have entered to win it, so you have a good chance of maybe winning! Go check it out!

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

I know it's not quite Thanksgiving yet, but on Sunday I was browsing around on Pioneer Woman's website and came across where she had posted other people's pies. This was one of those that jumped out at me and said, "Make me, Make me...Tonight!"

So that's just what I did.

I sent hubs to the store to get what I needed and went to town making this. The recipe came from Never Enough Thyme and she got it out of Southern Living. It tuned out wonderful! I love cheesecake and I love pecan pie so these two were made for each other and made for me! I thought I would share this with yall in time for Thanksgiving! Even if you don't make it for Thanksgiving you have to give this one a try!

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

1 9in pie crust (I used a Great Value refrigerated one, don't hate on me!)

1 (8 oun) cream cheese, softened

4 large eggs, divided

3/4 cup sugar, divided

2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans (I used 1 1/2)

1 cup light corn syrup

Heat oven to 350. Fit your pie crust in your pie dish according to directions. Fold edges over. Combine the cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and salt. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture in the pie crust. Try to keep your finger from dipping in it. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the cheesecake filling until covered. In another bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, 3 eggs and 1 tsp of vanilla. Whisk until it is all combined. Pour the mixture over the pecans, slowly. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees on the lowest rack for 50-55 minutes. (Every one's oven is different, it actually took mine about 1 hour and 10 minutes before it was done. I put a piece of foil over the top of it after 55 minutes to keep from browning anymore on top) Cool completely for 1 hour on a wire rack.

Top with cool whip if that's your kind of thing, it's mine, but I was out. Dang it!

You can serve it immediately or cover and chill up to 2 days, but seriously there was no way I could cover up this pie and wait to eat it! I was lucky I could restrain myself the hour it took to cool off.

I'm weak. So weak.

I'm linking this up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table and Potluck Sunday

Kirby

Don't forget to enter my $35 CSN Giveaway!

Flowers DO NOT Belong Up Kid's Noses!

I can definitely tell you that it is Monday. Laundry is not disappearing the way I want it too.

I can definitely tell you that since Riley is home all week long on Thanksgiving break, 24.5 arguments have already broke out between all of us.

I can definitely tell you that I want to hide underneath my bed and not come out until hubs gets home from work.

I can also definitely tell you that flowers do not belong up my 2 year olds nose.

I was walking out to my mailbox to grab the mail and of course Hayden followed me out the front door, so while I'm trying to drag her back into the house, she managed to grab what little flowers I do still have left that have not yet died. I'm still griping at her because she's trying to knock over my scarecrow and I finally managed to get her little body into the house and lock the door. Ok, good that's done with, now I can go finish up folding the laundry. I wasn't even done taking the clothes out of the drier yet when I heard this shrill scream coming from her and Riley.

SERIOUSLY????

I stomp back into the living room and it's like a dang bomb or something went off. Riley is screaming and jumping up and down,

"Hayden stuck a flower up her nose! Hayden stuck a flower up her nose!"

Hayden is screaming "flowwa in nose! flowwa in nose!"

I'm screaming "What the hell where you thinking?" (Ok, sorry I was mad!)

So I layed her down, she's still screaming and crying and I see this flower lodged way up into her nose. Great. Just freaking wonderful. I am NOT going back up to that doctors office to get a flower out of my child's nose. Nope, not gonna do it. You can't make me!

I went and got the tweezers, by this time her nose is bleeding. Riley is still freaking out. I'm grossing out. Hayden is screaming. Well and I guess I was freaking out a little bit, okay? I mean really, I don't do well in situations like this. Jeff is much better at being calm than me.

I won't ever admit that to him.

So once again I'm holding Hayden down with the tweezers to her nose. Tried that. And failed. Still have a flower stuck up the nose.

I love Google? Don't you?

That's what I did next, I Googled!

"How to get something out of your brats toddlers nose" 

About 11,600,000 results came up.

Ok good, I'm not the only crazed parent Googling this subject obviously. I found what I was looking for. I wasn't so sure I could pull it off or if it would even work, but why not give it a shot, it's better than loading them all up and heading up to the doc's!

The scenario was this:

 I went into the living room where Hayden was picking her nose and whining. I rolled my eyes. I picked her up and layed her down on the floor. I was pretty much on top of her to hold down her legs, my knees on her arms to hold them down (Thank goodness no one saw me doing this, they probably would be thinking I was strangling my child!) I pressed her left nostril in (the flower was in the right one) opened her mouth, leaned in and put my mouth over hers and blew as hard as I could.

The flower flew out...

and STUCK TO MY CHEEK!!!

I FREAKED!

How GROSS is that, a snot stuck flower is on my dang cheek!!!!!

Then I laughed uncontrollably. I couldn't stop laughing because I mean seriously??? I think I was most impressed that it actually worked! Whoever came up with that plan of action is a GENIUS! Needless to say, if it ever happens again, hopefully not, I now know what to do! Hayden and Riley were looking at me like I was some circus freak.

Child....You had better love me and remember this when your a teenager. I just saved your nose.

Yep that's it, that is what was stuck up her nose and stuck on my cheek. A snot filled flower. Maybe I'll give to her for dinner.

Just joking!

I'm going to go hide under my bed now, if anyone needs me, you know where to find me.

Kirby

Oh Why Not? $35 CSN Giveaway!!!!!

I know that I said when I get to 100 followers I was going to have a giveaway, which I still am, but I was given an awesome opportunity from CSN stores to either do a review for one of their products or give one of my readers a $35 code for one of their 200+ stores!!!

I was browsing around on their website looking at all the flat screen TV stands because the girls really need a new one for their room, one of them took a crayon to it and they are keeping their mouths sealed who did it...brats...then I got to looking at all their cookware, then all the shoes, the toys, then it hit me....

I have amazing followers!!!

Yea, I mean YOU sitting their reading this right now bouncing up and down on your chairs biting your fingernails!

Wait that's me...I'm excited what can I say!

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday and yall are one of them, so I would love to be able to make someone's day and let yall have a chance to win this one $35 code to CSN stores. Just in time for the holidays!

Mandatory Entry:

I'll make this one simple for yall...

To enter you must be a follower to my blog...

Then in a comment tell me what you are most thankful for this year! Make sure you leave me your email address so I can give you your $35 code!

Open only to U.S. and Canada residents (Eek I'm sorry!)

Winners will be selected at random.org and this entry will be open until November 30, 2010 at 11:59 P.M. Winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond back to me before a new winner is picked yet again! I'll let everyone know who the lucky winner is!

Good Luck and Good Night!

Kirby

Awesome Reuben Pizza

Ok, ok so I'm now back....A couple of days later....

We ended up having some more issues with Hayden and their for a second was about to have to put her in the hospital because we were scared she was getting dehydrated. It was really scary! This "bug" that was going around was no joke, that's for sure! But she is now back to her normal, heathen, ornery, no-listening self! Thank you for all the kind words in hoping she was getting better! Luckily none of us have caught it. I was disinfecting this house and washing everything in sight. I admit I was being a little OCD about it. Mainly because I don't think I could handle another kid throwing up everywhere. Actually I know I couldn't handle it, I would have been right there beside them throwing my guts up too!

Ok, so on to happier times now and no more talk about guts getting thrown up...

Last night was our pizza night! We haven't done it in awhile since I've been working so much but I actually had this weekend off and let me tell yall we were busy bee's all day long! We cleaned out our garage and put all the Christmas stuff out to the side. I think I have convinced hubs to let me put the tree up today. I know it's still early but I work all next weekend and plus I just love the coziness of the Christmas stuff up. A bunch of other people I noticed around here were putting their things up yesterday. Jeff did the yard work and we can now see our grass again from all the leaves covering it. I played soccer with the girls and managed to kick Riley right in the face with the ball. I didn't mean too! I felt really bad but I couldn't help but to laugh and the look on her face after I did it. If looks could kill, I would have dropped dead right then and there!

Ok back to the pizza...I always get off subject. It's a problem I have...

So I decided to make a Reuben pizza last night...

and

IT WAS AWESOME!

I really wasn't sure how this one would turn out. We love Reuben sandwiches and we love pizza so why not bring the two lovebirds together and let them meet each other? Yep that's exactly what I was thinking too....It was super easy. I'm all about making easy, good pizzas! So you should give this one a shot, its well worth it! It tasted exactly like a Reuben sandwich!

Hubs ate so much of it he was miserable afterwards, and he now claims this one if his fav. He says this everytime I make a new pizza. But he swears this one is now his ultimate favorite. So we'll see the next time I make a new one what he has to say...

He's a butt head.

So here goes the recipe....try this one!

Whichever pizza crust you prefer (as always I use the Great Value brand, easy peasy!)

Light Thousand Island dressing (how much ever you like, I think I did about 3/4 cup)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 can sauerkraut, drained

6 thin slices of deli corned beef (It weighed .33 ounces and was $2.34 at Walmart)

Dried basil and garlic salt

Make your crust according to directions or however you do yours. (I know alot of you make homemade versions, I don't, I'm lazy like that, maybe one day I'll have the energy to do it) Spread your thousand island dressing all over the top of the crust. Put your sauerkraut in a microwavable bowl and heat for 1 minute. Spread it on top of your dressing. Add your cheese on top of that next. Then tear your corned beef in little pieces and put it all over the pizza. Sprinkle with dried basil and garlic salt. Bake for 9 minutes at 475 (If your using the crust I make).

Take it out, let it cool off, take a bite and thank the heavens their is such thing as a Reuben pizza!

Since Hayden is feeling better and I think she was so happy she was feeling better, I took a lot of cute pics of her yesterday (I can never take good pics of her, she simply does not cooperate!) so this is where now I will show off my feelin better 

"Heathen Hayden"

I'm linking this up with

Also don't forget to enter my $35 CSN Giveaway in time for the Holidays!!!

Kirby

I'm still alive...barely...

Ok so I know I have been MIA for awhile now.

Don't De-Follow me...

I'll cry.

Kiddos have been sick. And when I say sick I mean like really-pathetic-you-feel-so-sorry-for-them-you-wish-it-was-yourself sick. I've been to the doctors office twice in that past several days. I bet they see me rolling in there with my caravan (my double stroller, its so big I feel like its a caravan, you need a license to steer that sucker!) and they want to go run and hide!

It's that bad.

They are both always arguing and throwing down sippy cups or screaming for a dum-dum sucker and wanting out. I truly believe they know darn well where they are at and thats why they act the way they do. They have the sense a needle is going to be coming for their chubby legs and poke them. Oh and when the doc walks in, its all over with! They have had it, they want out of that exam room and want out NOW! And then 2 hours later I walk out of there wanting to cry and drink a whole bottle of wine and to burn down the place for poking my babies.

So anyways, were hoping to get over this stomach bug that is going around because I dont know how much more throw up I can handle, I have a super weak stomach when it comes to smells and the smell of throw up does it for me. One look and whiff of it and I'm leaning over the sink or whatever is close to me throwing up myself. I'll gag at the drop of a hat, it really doesnt matter what it is, if it looks or smells gross-I'm gagging. Kinda like on Ace Ventura Pet Detective when he's always gagging, that's me! My dad gets a big kick out of it, I can picture his grin now when he see's me gagging...I'll have to gag about something at Christmas when I see him again to get that grin out of him, its funny because he's tries so hard not to do it. I'm on to him...

So this past Sunday morning, the scenerio was this:

Look behind me
Hayden is blowing chunks
I lean over the sink
There goes my coffee.

That was a totally gross scenerio, huh?

Well it happened folks and it SUCKED!

I hate throwing up.  I hate seeing my kids throw up. I can see it on t.v and think it's hilarious when I see someone else doing it, ok its not hilarious but if your watching Jackass then it sure the heck is! I have never had to deal with the whole throw up thing before, so this is freaking me out! I would rather change a gross of the grossest diaper than throw up! I'm gagging a little now as I'm writing about this just thinking about it.

New subject/illness.

Ear infections. They aren't too cool either...

I went in last week thinking I was just getting Sadie's 16 month shots and a well child check-up and left with a presciption for amoxicillin, a baby glaring at me for having the docs look in her ear with a scary pointy flashlight thingie, and an extra Bugs Bunny band-aid on the other leg for a flu shot. I guess that is was why she was running fever too, I honestly thought it was the 4 teeth she was cutting! I think shes still holding a grudge on me because she has refused to take her medicine, I have to literally shove it down her throat and then blow in her face to make her swallow it.

Mad parenting skills going on there! Take notes...

Hubs had a bad reaction to his flu shot last week also and so basically this whole household is a sick trap, walk in here and your walking out with some sort of infection or virus. Luckily, I'm probaby jinxing myself, Riley and I have got off scotch free so far. They say this stomach flu is highly contagious so we'll see if I wake up in the middle of the night throwing my guts up too.

This blog is so positive and bright and bubbly today, huh???

We decorated her turkey last night for her school family project. We had to disguise her turkey so the "farmer" wouldnt eat it so she wanted it to be a "Santa Turkey". I could not find any dang cotton in my house to put on there for his beard so I cut open a little bitty slit on my couch pillow to yank a little bit out of it and glued it on her turkey. Worked like a charm. I bet shes got the best darn turkey in Kindergarten! The beard is real, not just colored on!

Thats major dedication right there. Another one of those mad parenting skills...

So thats where I've been and what's been going on around here! Between working almost every night and all weekend long and coming home to sickly kids on my side of the bed that have kicked me out and I have to sleep in theirs, yea thats where I've been.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to post some yummy recipes I've had sitting around here waiting for me to share them with all of you! I have alot of catching up on all of yours just as well! Can't wait to see what you all have cooked up!

Kirby

Cheesy Alfredo Ham Pizza

Ya wanna a quick easy pizza?

A pizza that is a little off of the norm?

A pizza that is surprisingly insanely delish?

Well I got one for ya!

We used to go to Cici's, not so much anymore, I'll spare you the details, but when I did go there I loved their Alfredo and spinach pizza and just the plain Alfredo pizza was awesome. And since I'm always trying to find new ways of making pizzas and because this is what I had on hand without having to go to my second home, Walmart, I went with this. To be honest, I wasn't sure how it would turn out or even if the kids would eat it,  but I took it out of the oven and it smelled and looked so pretty! It actually turned out to be awesome! It was great for breakfast this morning too, it had ham okay? Its probably been the easiest pizza I have ever made too, so here ya go, make one sometime!

1 cup of Cheesy Ragu Light Parmesan Alfredo sauce (More or less depending how much you like)
1 cup of Farmland Diced Ham Chunks (Also more or less depending on what ya like!)
pizza crust of your choice (I always use Great Value .47 cent packages, easy and cheap!)
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
dried basil

Make your pizza crust and preheat or whatever you need to do to get it ready to top your ingredients with. Spread the Alfredo sauce on your pizza. Cover with your cheeses, top with diced ham, sprinkle with dried basil. (Told ya it was that easy!) Bake 9-11 minutes.

Ta da! All done...that quick! I ate it as quick as I made it!

Seriously...that good...

Here's some pics of the girls from this blur of a past weekend! I mean really where did it go? It seemed like we were on the run the whole time! Between carving pumpkins, Fall Carnivals, making cupcakes, pumpkin patches and going here and there, it seriously was a blur! It was a fun weekend though at least! I didn't get great shots of Hayden and Sadie in their costumes because what do ya know, I couldn't get them to sit still enough to take a picture! Dang candy! They were all hyped up on a sugar rush!

I think I was too....

Gotta love Halloween candy....

The Pesky Ladybug

Who was amazed by a little boy wearing a Scooby Doo costume!

He's Real, He's Real!

The Scared Cat Witch Baby

She didn't know what to do when someone with a scary mask walked past her!

It was Hilarious!

My Poodle Girl

Who's got this Trick Or Treating down to a T!

Way to get them Snickers and Kit Kat's for Momma and Daddy kiddo!

This has been linked up to Potluck Sunday!!!

Kirby

The Evil Mom who laughed and scared her kids all Halloween night

Mushroom Gravy Pork Chops

It's been another busy last couple of days and the next couple of days are going to be busy just as well. Its all starting...its right about this time every year I'm running around like my head is cut off! I'm sure its that way for everyone else just as well! We get to have some fun this weekend though at least! We have Riley's Fall Carnival at her school tonite and I can't wait to get in there and beat some little kids at the games, it sounds like it will be lots of fun! Tomorrow were going to the Pumpkin patch to get more pumpkins and get to carving, we just haven't gotten around to it yet, and then pizza night tomorrow night along with scary movies alllll weekend long...

I sure hope the girls enjoy Nightmare on Elm Street.

I'm kidding....they can watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" over and over again...and of course you cant forget "The Nightmare before Christmas." I have some freaky little kids that enjoy that kind of thing...I guess they do take after their parents a little bit...

And of course we cant forget Trick and Treating! I really wish they were doing it Saturday night here since its land on Sunday this year and its being a school night and all, and some town are, but not ours. I guess I get it though, its not really Halloween unless you do it Halloween night. Still it would have been easier on Saturday, but who am I to change Halloween? And then the day after Halloween will start in on all the Christmas commercials, which I really love! Its gets me all giddy like a little kid again!

Last night I made Mushroom Gravy Pork Chops. This is another recipe I got off of Allrecipes. I've been making this one for years, its so super duper easy. I have added a few things to it to give it a little more umph! So if your feeling lazy and don't want to go to a whole lot of trouble, go with this one, its comfort food and its good!

5-6 boneless pork chops

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

10 oun of evaporated milk

1 small onion sliced
1 small can of sliced mushrooms, drained (I was actually out of these this time, I could have sworn there was some in the pantry...dangit!)
1 tbs sherry cooking wine
1 tsp garlic powder
Ground pepper, and "Tony"
1-2 tbs olive oil

Heat up your skillet with the olive oil on medium heat. Sprinkle each side of the pork chops with good ole "Tony". Cook each side for about 5 minutes along with the onions. Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix your soups, evaporated milk (you can do less or more depending how thick you want your gravy to be), mushrooms, sherry, garlic powder and ground pepper. Lay your pork chops in a big casserole dish (9 x 13) Pour the mushroom gravy mix over the tops of the pork chops. Bake for 45 minutes.

And there ya go, this is some dang good comfort food right here! Serve with some mashed potatoes (which I did not do because I was to lazy to even peel the darn things) or you could make some creamy macaroni and cheese and corn! Mmm Mmm! Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Have fun!

Be safe!

And eat allll your kids candy!

This is linked up with Potluck Sunday

Kirby

Southwestern Frito Pie

Uhh its been a couple of those days where I have worked everyday and all weekend long. When I work all weekend long and come Monday morning, my house looks like I had a football team in here and they ransacked it. In other words, its a complete disaster and it takes me 2 days to clean it back up! Nothing at all against hubs, he does a fantastic job with the girls and trying to keep the house picked up by the time I get home, but ya know there is something about the way you, yourself, cleans up your house, its done a certain way. In my case its like that anyways. And my girls are high maintenance so it makes it a little harder to keep everything up! So I'm a couple of days behind on here so it catch up time today!

I came across this recipe last week on Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner (hers is called Mexi Dinner) so she is the total inspiration for this recipe and the idea behind it! I love how she put it in the crock pot to warm it up! It was super quick and easy! (She has some great recipes, you should check her out!) I added a couple of more ingredients to it and by the time it was done it was kinda like a Southwestern Frito Pie. And y'all know me and Frito Pie, or Cheese-It Pie---MMmm...So that's what I named it since it was a little different and had that kinda of sense to it!

Here goes...

1 lb ground turkey, cooked and drained

1 (19 oun) can medium (or mild) enchilada sauce

1 (8 oun) can tomato sauce

1 (10 oun) can Rotel

1 (15 oun) can corn, drained

1 (15 oun) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup water(or less if you want it thicker)

1/2 tbs garlic powder

1/2 tbs "Tony" creole seasoning

1/2 tsp oregano

1 cup shredded cheese (plus more for topping, if you like!)

Cook you ground turkey (or beef). Spray the inside of your crock pot. Add all your ingredients and stir. Cook on low for 2 hours. Serve with Frito's and whatever toppings you like. I used more cheese (Duh!), sour cream and jalapenos!

So give this one a try its another one of those cozy Fall meals that hits the spot!

Happy Tuesday!

(I'm gonna go dig in some more of this cleaning...Uhhhh!)

Kirby

CrazZzy Good Taco Soup

Yes, ANOTHER taco soup recipe! I know, I know there are lots of 'em out there, and they all sound delish, but this was is so DARN good, that its crazZy! I crave it every couple of weeks. I love how easy it is too, basically just opening a bunch of cans and packets-now that's what I'm talking about! I think my 5 year old could make this, well besides browning up the meat, I don't want my house to burn down or anything...then I wouldn't have a computer to blog on, or make new friends, or share recipes and then my life would be ruined FOR-EV-VER...

(I'm thinking about Squints in the movie "Sandlot"(Love that movie!) when he's saying For-ev-ver, For-ev-ver.....*still saying this as I type...)

Annyywaayyss...

I was going to make it on Sunday, but I figured I would wait a couple of days when they were forecasting rain and cool weather and for once they finally got it right on. There is just something about a good soup and a rainy, cool day that just makes it that much better. Why is that? Weird...

I make it with some hot Italian sausage in it, and yes I realize I have had alot of sausage recipes lately, I'm trying to use it all up so it doesn't ruin peeeople! It adds a certain different flavor to make it that much better! So here goes the taco soup that I get major props on... :)

3 hot Italian sausage links, casings removed, cooked, crumbled and drained
1 lb ground turkey (or you could use ground beef), cooked and drained
1 15 oun can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oun can ranch style beans(do not drain)
1 15 oun can corn, drained
2 10 oun cans Rotel, do not drain
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (less if you want it thicker, or more if you want it soupier)
1 tbs "tony" creole seasoning
2 bay leaves
2 pinches of cinnamon
1 tbs oregeno
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet dry spicy ranch dressing seasoning

Garnish:
Whatever cheese you like, I use Monterey Jack
Sour Cream
Green onions

Sweet cornbread...A must...

Break out your big pot, and throw in there your Italian sausage, ground turkey(or beef), and onion. Cook until brown. Drain. Add in your beans, corn, rotel, chicken broth. Stir. Then add in all your seasonings. Let simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Make ya a big bowl of this stuff right here with some cornbread and count your blessings that Taco Soup even exsists...

This is linked up with Tuesday Night Supper Club
Kirby

Creamy Sausage and Rigatoni Pasta

This is another dish my mom used to make when I was a young'un. I made it last night and yes it was pasta and no I don't think Jeff ate it! I had to go to work so I don't know what he ate, I do know when I got home at 10 he was heating up a bowl of Taco Soup.  He just is not a pasta dude, and I love a good bowl of pasta...I told y'all he's a weird one now when it comes to food! I guess I was pushing it considering the night before I had made the Steak and Stir-Fry Noodles. I didn't realize it was 2 pasta dishes 2 nights in a row...Oh well I could eat pasta any night of the week! I made some cheese garlic biscuits to go along with it and I ran out of my white cooking wine so the glass I was drinking of wine (Oops got caught drinking wine again, ok I admit, when I cook I like to have a glass of wine, it makes everything that much better and tunes out the screaming, starving kids in the background!) I just used some of that in place of it and it turned out to be really good! So I think any white wine would do for this dish! And you can sneak in a little sip while your at it...

5 links of Italian sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
1 cup heavy whipping cream
14 oun Rigatoni noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 cup white wine
A sip of white wine, I'm kidding....well kinda...
6 oun of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tbs dried parsley
1/2 tbs oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp nutmeg (Don't leave this one out, its amazing in it!)
1 tbs butter

Heat butter in a pan until melted, add in your Italian sausage (casings removed) and cook until brown and drain. Make your noodles according to directions. While your noodles are cooking up, in the same pan you used to make your sausage in, add your cream, wine, garlic powder and parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in your crumbled sausage and heat another 2 minutes. Drain your noodles. Pour your cream/sausage mixture into the noodles and stir over low heat. Add in your parmesan cheese and stir until it is melted all throughout. And last but not least, your nutmeg! Add it in and stir once again! All done! Super easy, huh?

Get ya a big ole bowl of this creamy goodness!

It is heaven in a bowl!

This post has been linked up with

Kirby

Steak and Stir-Fry Noodles

As I was scrolling around on the Kraft website last week trying to find something easy and different to make I came upon the Beef and Vegetable Noodle Bowl recipe. This sounded really good to me and out of the ordinary things I usually make. I didn't know if hubs would eat it since it had pasta in it but I thought maybe I could get by with it since it was sorta like Chinese food (I guess this would go under Chinese/Asian, actually I really don't know what category food...hmm...oh well!) His picky butt surprisingly loves Chinese food! I did change it up a bit from the way they have it on their website to make it a little different and to use up some things I had on hand. It calls for some hoisin sauce but I'm not really crazy about the taste of it so I didn't put a whole lot in there. And I didn't have the Asian Sesame Dressing so I had to go get some of that, I actually have never even knew they had that dressing, and let me tell you this stuff is GOOD!

Where have you been all my life Asian Sesame Dressing???

So here is how it went down...

1 box of multi grain thin spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
1 lb (Mine was a little over a pound) boneless beef chuck steak
1/2 c Asian Sesame Dressing (I used the light one)
2 tbs hoisin sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 bag of frozen vegetable (asparagus) stir fry mix (I buy the Great Value stir fry, it has the asparagus, broccoli, red pepper and some other vegetables in it)
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs sesame seeds
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Garnish:
Sriracha sauce
Soy Sauce
Chow Mien Noodles
(If your store carries the Garlic Ginger Wonton strips in the Chinese Food aisle, get them! They are good on anything and everything! Sadly my Walmart doesn't carry them here and I'm on a rampage wondering who I need to talk to about this situation...)

Cooked your noodles according to the directions. Use 1 tbs olive oil in a pan and heat up, sprinkle Kosher salt and pepper on both sides on your steak. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness (Is that a even a word?), and when its done, cut into bite size strips, set aside. Using the same pan, add 1 tbs more of olive oil (Mine didn't have any grease in it, so if you do just drain it then add your olive oil) add your frozen stir fry mix and minced garlic. Cook according to the tenderness that you like your veggies to be (Mine takes about 8 minutes or so, I like it a tad bit brown on there). After your veggies are done, add in your hoisin sauce and Asian Sesame dressing, stir until heated thru, then add in your steak pieces. After you have drained your noodles pour in your chicken broth and stir. Then add in your steak/veggie mixture and sesame seeds and stir it all up again. Lots of stirring going on here...

Put into separate bowls and garnish with your green onions and whatever else floats your boat!

I also served it alongside with some egg rolls. This was a huge hit in the ole household. Hubs, even though it had noodles, loved it so much he even heated up more that night and took it to work with him the next day! He also loved the dressing he added more on top of it, its that good folks! Riley ate it all and even Hayden who I figured wouldnt touch it had 2 helpings of it! So I guess then you could also call it kid-friendly! Who knew? Something I thought only I might like everyone loved! This one is a keeper!

Yesterday was the perfect Fall day! It had stormed the night before and so then it was cloudy, wet and only in the high 50's-low 60's here! I LOVE days like that! The leaves are starting to really change and our peak time for it is next weekend. I snapped this pic of what we have done to the front of the house so far for Halloween-not a whole lot there is alot more inside. It was just kinda cozy looking to me, or maybe thats because I had a glass of wine by then....(It was good too, the kids where acting CRAZY yesterday!) Anyways there it is!

Hope yall have a perfect Fall-ish Day!

Kirby

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