Easiest and Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge!

I made the best easiest fudge for a Christmas BBQ. Along with my Asian salad. You know the cabbage and ramen one... Both were a huge hit and gone ASAP. People kept raving about both. So on to the fudge!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (microwave)

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (if you don't want to use PB add one extra cup of choc chips)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 TBS butter
1 TSP Vanilla (I always splash a bit more in for good measure)
1/4 TSP Salt
Walnuts (Optional)

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Set aside. Place all the ingredients through the butter into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 min and stir. You want to use the heat from the glass bowl to melt the remaining chocolate. If it doesn't completely melt microwave an additional 30 seconds and stir again. Once all Melted add the remaining ingredients and then place into your 8x8 pan and refrigerate for 2.5-3 hours to firm up. Remove and cut into bite size squares.

It literally takes less than 5 min of work!

Tis the season for cookies!

My grandmother told me about making cookies from a box cake mix that my great aunt had told her about so I thought why not give it a try it's the Christmas season everybody loves cookies and I happen to have a box of sugar free chocolate devil's food cake mix sitting in my pantry!
I have to say these were the easiest simplest fastest cookies I've ever made.
And they came out beautifully I had to cook them a little longer than the 8 minutes that my grandmother said. Mine took about 10 to 12 but otherwise they fluffy and wonderful.

Boxed cake mix cookies

1 box chocolate cake mix  (I used sugar free )
2 eggs
1/3 c oil
Powdered sugar to roll balls in which is totally optional

Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil together. Then form one inch balls and if rolling in powdered sugar here is where you would do it. Then place balls on an ungreased  cookie sheet about an inch apart from each other.  Press down with a fork a bit and bake at 350 10 to 12 min

This is why my hubby married me. Well one reason.

Apparently according to my husband I have a knack for making up dishes from random bits of stuff in our fridge and cupboards. This afternoon I made up an Alfredo sauce with pasta, sundried tomatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, and Italian link sausage that we had left over and I re roasted them in the oven. It turned out crazy amazing and it was so easy and probably one of the best things I've made.
There is no recipe with measurements per say but I'll give some approximations and you can fiddle with it to your liking.

4 tbs butter
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 to 1 cup parmesan
Milk maybe 1/2 cup
Chicken stock maybe 1/2 cup
Heavy cream 1 cup
Crushed red pepper flakes
Mrs dash
Pepper
Left over sausage 2 links sliced into rounds
10 to 12 brussel sprouts, roasted
2 tbs sun dried tomatoes
Cooked pasta (I cooked a little over 1 cup dried elbow noodles)

Melt the butter and cook the garlic a bit in it adding spices to taste.  Add your cheese,  milk, cream, and stock. It will be thin and runny reduce and melt the cheeses together 5 or so min. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes. If the sauce is still to thin add a little Corn starch to thicken.
During the noodle sausage and brussel sprouts. Enjoy!

Oh the Romance! And Crock Pot Ham

My hubby is so romantic. We celebrated our anniversary and there was chocolate, roses everywhere, champagne, warm baths, shoes, and diamonds! Yep I have a major keeper. So blessed to have this wonderful man. Even if I didn't have all the gifty stuff just the thought and effort he puts into our life in general makes me so thankful. He takes care of me when I am sick (which is all the time), or just does things to love me like snuggling, or dancing, or filling up my car with gas. I pray I make him feel the same everyday.

We went on a marriage retreat last weekend and had a crazy good time. Can we say waterpark! We played in the water for hours. The only downside was I went down this slide on a foam thing on your tummy and my top slid down...But our friend held up my foam thing so I could fix my self. It was so embarrassing but funny looking back now. During the fun we did a class called the 5 love languages. It was actually a great class and confirmed a lot of what we thought or already did. Since I now know what his love language is for sure now (I knew before but the fun test confirmed it) I am going to speak it forever! EVERY DAY

I just feel so loved and happy I could burst. I know that the effort we put into our marriage everyday is so worth it.

We had Thanksgiving this year at a friends house. And had so much fun with them. We ate and ate, played games, drank some wine, and played with my nephew and niece. It was such a great time with lots of laughter. Each of us brought half the dinner and split the leftovers....mmm leftovers. We tried a new recipe for crockpot ham turned out fantastic! And was so easy...

Crock Pot Ham

1 spiral ham
2 cups brown sugar
pineapple slices

Place 1 cup of brown sugar on the bottom on crockpot, then place your ham, 1 cup brown sugar, and then the pineapple slices. I put the spiral cut side down. Let cook for 6-8 hrs on low. Pull the ham out and place in a dish and if your ham came with a  glaze packet (ours was honey) just put that on top and let sit for 5-10 min to soak in...Amazing! So easy!

My friend and I getting ready to get our wine on!

Birthday Dinner...

We celebrated my hubby's birthday yesterday and he chose to have me cook dinner and go out for dessert. He is crazy like that. I wanted to make him something special for his special day and what better than Paella! And I am going to just do it. Yep toot my own horn...TOOT TOOT! It was fantastic!!!

Moroccan Paella

3 large Italian sausages sliced into rounds
1 chicken leg quarter (chicken thigh and drum stick)
1 pound mixed seafood (I had a mixed blend of squid, cod, shrimp, scallops)
1.5 cups rice
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons knorr w/ tomato
1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons dried cilantro
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
2-4 lemons, divided
salt and pepper
olive oil
water (if needed)

create a marinade with the chili flakes, paprika, cumin, cilantro, garlic, and juice of 1 lemon. Stick your chicken in and chill for 1-2 hrs.

place oil in bottom of large pot and cook your sausage and chicken making sure to place in all the marinade making sure to scrape off any tasty bits from the bottom.  take out the chicken and debone and toss back in. Pour in the rice and stir to coat everything. Then toss in everything else but the seafood and let simmer and reduce cooking the rice this took me about 30 min but I added a bit extra water. During the last 5 or so min of cooking toss in your seafood and place a lid on top to steam the seafood making it tender and wonderful.

Serve! (side note...next time I might put some veg like zucchini in for fun)

Leftover Glory!

I love to make stuff up. It often turns out to be some of the best food I ever make. Go figure right!
My hubby signed us up for a marriage retreat that his unit is going to. Should be excited and we leave this afternoon to head to the Great Wolf Lodge! I have never been to a GWL before but I hear that they are really cool. And I hear the retreats are pretty awesome as well so should be a great weekend. Anyway. The leftovers...We decided to pack a picnic and on the way stop for lunch somewhere scenic we see...I had no idea what to pack since he eats sandwiches all the time and this is a special fun weekend not to mention the 1/2 pound of ground turkey sitting in my fridge I didn't want to go to waste!
Being (or trying to be) the crafty resourceful wife I rummaged through the cupboards, fridge, and freezer to see what I could do with this meat...when it hit me. A meat hand pie! I had a pie crust in the fridge from the skillet pot pie the other day that I could use and some onion and shredded potatoes I had saved from going bad by tossing them in the freezer a while back...Perfect. A little of this and that and tah dah! These bad boys were made!

Hand Pie Recipe:

1 Pie crust
1/2 pound ground meat
1 large onion, diced
shredded potatoes, frozen or fresh. about 1.5 cups
Salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce, a few splashes
1 tablespoon minced garlic

sauté the onion and potato until golden and potato starts to crisp in some oil or butter. Don't forget to season to taste with some salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.

Cook your ground meat in the same pan with the garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Re add the potato and onion mix and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Roll out your pie crust and make your pie circles as large as you would like your pie to turn out. I made about 4 pies with ours and had filling left over.

Fill one side of the crust with filling and fold over and crimp with a fork. Poke vent holes in the top for steam and bake at 350 for about 30-40 min until nice and golden.

The pups were happy for the left over filling mixed in their kibble this am and these will be so great for lunch even room temp! I know this because I ate one for breakfast haha!

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie...Best pot pie of your life!

Part of the way I show my hubby I love him is cooking yummy things. While back home this summer I had the best skillet chicken pot pie ever. Ever since then I have been trying to re create that beauty for the hubs...Well I did it! So here it is for you...And me so I can remember it for later.

1/2 a small rotisserie chicken

5 tablespoons butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup flour, heaping 

1½ cups chicken broth

1 cup milk + extra to thin out roux if needed

2 cups frozen mixed carrots and green peas (or one of the small bags)

1 tablespoon of Knorr chicken bouillon with tomato

Salt and pepper to taste

9" Pillsbury refridgerated pie crust

 

Melt butter in a large sauce pan and then sauté the onion and garlic until the onions are translucent. Don't forget to season with some salt and pepper to taste. Next add the flour and cook/ brown until the flour taste is gone and its a nice golden color.

 

Whisk in the Knorr, chicken broth, and milk until creamy and there are no lumps. Add the frozen veg and reduce until nice and silky and thick. Stir in the chicken and then pour in your greased cast iron skillet.

 

Roll out your pie crust and fit over the top pinching the sides around the skillet. Put plenty of 1 inch slits in the top for steam to leave.

 

Bake at 425 for 30-35 min. Until top is all browned and golden. Let sit 10 min before slicing.

 

 

Hits close to home...

As I mentioned earlier one of my dear friends' son has come down with bone cancer. I was sitting praying for him the other day when I thought hey what is something that my family appreciated a lot when my sister was sick that I could do to help out in some little way...Boom. Food!

One is so crazy busy that they don't have time or forget to eat something good. I scoured recipe after recipe for something that I could pre make and they just toss in the oven. I decided on a casserole. And I must say thank goodness for casseroles making easy one pot meal dishes. This one turned out particularly well I thought after some tweeking of the original recipe (the original tasted rather bland and didn't have any rice in it). I ended up creating Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole with fresh French Bread, and Brownies. For the ice packs I used Beans and Ham soup along with Butternut Squash Bisque. I Make large batches of stews and soups and always freeze half the batch for later meal sized...

The Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli with Rice Casserole Recipe is:

3/4 of a small rotisserie chicken shredded

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of mayo

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, reserve about 1/4c for the top

1 bag frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups cooked rice

Garlic and Onion powder to taste

Milk to thin out the casserole I used 1/4-1/3 cup

 

Mix everything together and place in your casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for about 30 min until warm and bubbly.

 

I tossed a little left over mozz on top because I had it laying around but you really don't need it...

Scalloped Squash Casserole with Ham

I have been slowly trying to trudge myself back to eating right after my trip back home and to prepare myself for my upcoming trip to Morocco hopefully next month. I am meeting my husbands brothers and sisters and their families for the first time since we have been married and of course wish to look my best. This has meant back to the gym regularly and protein protein protein! Last night I tried a new recipe from a low carb cookbook called Scalloped Squash Casserole with Ham. So quick so easy and amazing. I paired it with a carrot and radish salad with fresh garlic herb goat cheese. High in protein and low carb just the way I like it!

Scalloped Squash Casserole with Ham
Serves 8 (I halved the recipe when I made it but here is the full size)

Cheese filling
15 oz light ricotta cheese
3 cups low fat shredded mozzarella, divided
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Casserole
non stick cooking spray
1.5 lbs of yellow squash, very thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (I was out so I used onion powder)
1lb cooked diced sliced baked ham or a ham steak cubed.

1. Mix the cheese ingredients together leaving 1 cup of the mozzarella out to top the casserole.
2. preheat oven to 350 and spray your 13x9 baking dish.
3. layer the bottom of the dish with yellow squash, salt and pepper, 1/2 the onion, 1/2 the cheese mixture and 1/2 the ham. repeat and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella.
4. Bake for 50-60 min and then let rest 5min before serving.

Left overs for lunch today!

Prayer Cloth

One of my really great friends found out that her son has osteosarcoma.  It's a bone cancer.  My sister had osteogenicsarcoma before passing when I was a kid. So this sadness and struggle for her family really hit home for me and I wanted to do something meaningful and nice for her.  I saw a free pattern online and thought what a cool idea.  I attached a little letter with it.  Nothing fancy but from the heart since I know God is bigger than what's happening.

Fall Soup Goodness

Fall is upon us! I love this time of the year it's my favorite. The air begins to cool and become crisp and refreshing with no or less NC humidity! Another great thing about fall is soup. And better yet...Soup in homemade bread bowls. Mmmm. As an earlier post says I sold myself for a blender for a few days. Not just any blender but a Vitamix blender the blender to end all blenders!!! Yes I love my blender. I had better I cleaned for days to get it!
So the soup you are wondering...What is it lady! Ok ok I am going I am going....

Butternut Squash Soup

1 really large butternut squash about 6 lbs. Washed.
1 large yam/ sweet potato
1 onion
4 oz butter
2 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs molasses
salt
pepper
knob of fresh ginger grated
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cyanine pepper
zest and juice from one orange
2-3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1-2 cloves garlic grated
2 c milk
1 c heavy cream
3-4 c of left over liquid/water from roasting the squash

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Place the squash on a flat surface and split them in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and arrange in a single layer on one or two baking sheets.
3. In a small saucepan, melt 4 ounces of the butter completely over medium heat. Wait until it starts to turn a light brown color. Remove from heat and immediately distribute the butter into the cavities of the squash halves. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and Molasses as well.
4. Season the insides with salt and pepper. Finish by covering with the ginger, fresh ginger, and the ground cloves. Fill the bottom of the tray(s) with the water (should be about 1 inch high) to create steam while the squash bakes in the oven. Cover the tray(s) with aluminum foil and seal the edges tightly. Wrap the sweet potato and onion in aluminum foil and set aside.
5. Place the tray(s) in the center of the oven and bake the squash, undisturbed, for 2 hours. Place the sweet potato and onion in the oven to roast after 1 hr. They do not take as long. To check for doneness, pierce one of the halves with the tip of a small knife. The knife should slide in and out easily. If at all firm, bake the halves an additional 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Carefully peel back the foil. Set aside to cool.
6. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash, taking care not to take any skin with it. The skin can give a bitter flavor; however, take care to retain all of the cooking liquid inside the squash. That will add a lot of flavor to the soup. Gather all of the squash in a large pot. Turn the heat on low. Add some of the orange zest, the orange juice, the Worcestershire Sauce and the garlic. Add the brown butter. Stir to blend. Taste for seasoning. If the squash lacks sweetness, add a little Molasses. If it lacks salt, add a little salt or Worcestershire Sauce.
7. In a large pot, heat the skim milk, heavy cream, and two cups of the water. Season the liquid with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
8. Add the squash and stir to blend. Once the mixture has returned to a simmer, taste for seasoning.
9. Place 4 cups of soup into the Vitamix container and secure lid.
10. Select Variable 1.
11. Turn machine on and slowly increase to Variable 10, then to High.
12. Blend for 30 seconds or until smoothly puréed. Carefully transfer to pot or serving bowl. Repeat with remaining soup.
13. If the soup needs more flavor, add salt, extra orange zest or pepper, as needed. If the soup is too thick, add the additional cup of water and blend.

I made homemade bread bowls to accompany! I toasted the tops and insides I pulled out to use as dippers for the soup. 

For the second day because it made so much soup we had left overs and I had some left over turkey loin from the other day. I chopped that up and tossed it in the soup and oh my gosh. The perfect accompaniment! I love fall...the fun...the food.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Sometimes nothing tastes better than some breakfast for dinner. Last night was definitely one of those nights and I was craving pancakes bad. The problem is they are low in protein high in carbs and a lot of the recipes for the high protein pancakes are just face it not that good and not fluffy and I love fluffy pancakes! Now to be fair I have tried a couple of recipes that were ok but this is by far my favorite. Not the most low carb on the planet but a bit healthier with the added yogurt so I wasn't feeling to bad.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes
Serves 8 generous sized pancakes
156 Cals
7.7g Protein

2 (5.3 fl.oz.) containers of Greek yogurt I used strawberry banana because that's what I had and it was a large tub
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
6 TBS + extra if batter is to thin
2 cups bisquick

Whisk all the wet ingredients together. Then mix in the bisquick. Add extra milk if to thick.
Cook as normal.

Now if you want the best pancake ever I recommend adding peanut butter and syrup for toppings!

To much hate and sadness

I keep seeing on the news all of this sad stuff with ISIS and people dying and being mutilated and them all doing it in the name of faith and it just breaks my heart, makes me furious, so angry, and scared all at the same time. Jesus is coming soon folks.
I keep reading so much information because it's everywhere on the TV,  news, your news feed on Facebook, and all of your other social media outlets are so full of reports and articles you just can't seem to get away from it and some of it has so much conflicting information about Islam and what it teaches that it makes me question what is real and what is an extremist view. Let's face it each religion has their extremist wacko nut jobs. My husband was raised you as a Muslim being from Morocco and I know that so much of what they're saying about his faith is not what he believes or was taught. Being a Christian not knowing much about his faith other than what I was taught or read leads me to asking questions and he is so patient and answers all of them without being angry at me because I get curious about his faith and how we are both similar and different. (This gives us an interesting dynamic for our marriage that's for sure but I get to learn a lot which is cool.) And lately if what I keep reading, seeing, or hearing is what he was taught to believe or as a general rule belief even if he doesn't believe something himself.
Of course all of this terrible stuff that they're saying my husband says it's not really what is taught but it makes me scared that someone is going to be ignorant and believe that and not be nice to my husband which makes me angry very angry; and it makes me angry that people are twisting faith to justify killing all of these people and it just makes me sick. My husband is a big boy and can of course take care of himself and he is super smart but I don't like the idea of people taking out on him what some terrorist fanatics are doing on the other side of the world.
I figure my blog I can rant for a minute about this stuff...It's the point of one right.

Getting back on track

During this trip back home I have fallen off the wagon so to speak. I just can't seem to crawl back on! Luckily I haven't gained or anything but I keep bouncing around in this same 1 pound instead of loosing. I think to myself ok. Today is the day to be good and get back on track and then BAM night hits and I fail. I am not sure why this is happening but it's ticking me off big time as I need to get with it and do what I am supposed to.  And I need to get better with getting my water in too. I wonder if that has anything to do with the night time snacking. Well today is the day I will do my best to make wise choices and STICK WITH THEM and starting next week when my burn is better I will be back to water aerobics so I am hoping that will help too.

Darn extended vacations messing a girl up!

As close as it gets to a farmers market in Clarkston, WA

Was helping my mum by doing the grocery shopping and I thought ooo Hays Produce! It's a little local fruit and veg market they have here. Kinda spendy but always really great produce. I went in to pick up some giant cantaloupes and some peaches/apples for the week. Well not only did I leave with that but 2 of the cutest baskets ever! (I have a basket obsession) and some raw local honey. My hubs loves the honey from here so when I can get it I (aka remember when I visit too) I pick some up. It really wasn't bad at all 2lb 8oz jug for about 19 bucks. We won't talk about how much the baskets were...shhhh! If I don't speak of it, it never happened! Here is the yummy goodness. OOO and see my cute new grey bag in the background! Yes!

Picked up the mail too and I got a wild crazy hair up my tookus that I was going to see what I looked like in an old 1950's high waisted bikini. NO I am not that lady that looses 100+ pounds and hits the beach in her new wrinkly skin. I don't think there is anything wrong with doing that I just happen to be Really REALLY self conscious and it would stop me from having a good time. Those who can rock that confidence I am actually envious of. Anyway I digress. I saw this suit for 10 bucks online and thought what the heck! There are free returns right. And I could wear this for my hubs in the backyard running through the sprinkler or something. So I get it yesterday and try it on. Epic fail! It fits great. But it is definitely not what I had imagined. Why did the bottoms come up higher on the model I kept sighing to myself. And oh my gosh the whiteness and extra fluff I still have! Of course I show it to my mom who thinks I look like Minnie Mouse! But she likes it for the backyard. I sent the hubs a picture of me in my new glorious suit and he liked it too. Maybe it's me. You see so much this time of year about people being made fun of for not being that hot sexy tight 20 y/o with a body fat % of 10 in a bikini that I don't dare hit the beach. My hubby thinks I am a hot sexy 31 y/o with a well bit more body fat % so I am going with that. I'm bringing fluffy sexy back...All you haters don't know how to act...kickem to the curb...or however that song bringing sexy back goes.   ;)

 

This weekend my cousin WD came down as I mentioned in an earlier post. Well her grandma and my grandma are sisters. They are BFF's to the core. Well they were on vacation on a sisters holiday that they do every so often and one of my second cousins V (WD's aunt) photo bombed their picture they took of their feet with some matching sandals they had bought. So to be funny we picked up some matching sandals and had my second cousin who came down with WD photo bomb us so that we could print the picture out and give it to them as a funny matching picture for their fridges since we are BFF's too. These are some sexy feet right here let me tell you! I am rocking those flip flops with red toes haha!

 

Another funny story from this weekend my grandmother invited us to dinner last night and I had to laugh so hard. I am thinking great I can't wait zucchini lasagna! I love zucc lasagna! Especially since it's the zucc from her garden. I get up there and she gives me a disclaimer about how this was her first try at this recipe and how it's not quite like she had imagined it would turn out. It was a giant pot of sauce, cheese, and meat with a few noodles floating here and there. She goes um...Let's dip our bread in it that will fix it! I dubbed it inside out lasagna stew! Man was it good though. I gave her a few hints for the zucc for next time.

 

I also had to stop the baking for a while which is why I haven't posted any new recipes. I have been going hog wild crazy and falling off my meal strategy/plan and am wanting to get back on that ASAP. My hubs sent me a pic and he has lost SOOO much weight while at school. by the time he gets back I will be able to do laundry on his abs the sucker!

 

Well I am off to make some turkey gyro sammies for lunch with lots of veggies!



My long lost gorgeous cousin visits

Two of my cousins from Montana drove down to see me for the weekend.  It has been 7 years since I had seen WD. It was so amazing to see her.  I didn't realize how much I had missed and now do miss her again. We had so much fun despite some sad circumstances that feel on our poor family the day before they arrived. We shopped and shopped. And found her a new kitty she adopted! Boy was she a cutie.  We stayed up late and had a chance to catch up. I am really really going to be better at keeping in touch. She has such a beautiful heart and I miss her tons! It's too bad we don't live closer but there is a chance in 5 years we might so that is something to look forward too.

Deployment Poem from militaryspouse.com

http://militaryspouse.com/articles/dear-deployment/?utm_content=buffer9336a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Godzilla

I grew up on godzilla.  The old awesome godzilla before itwas coolto be a fan... I knew the original gojira and godzilla the king of the monsters we The same Don basically how awesome check this link out!

http://realmofryan.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-history-of-godzilla-on-film-part-1.html?m=1

Craftyness with my Mom

So now that my mom is beginning to feel better we have been being a bit more active around here. She is walking so much better and getting more energy as we go. So while she is unable to lift or carry things she decided to just say from her little bench "Hey put this there or here" like a queen from her chair. We re organized her entire front yard and I found this old old box on the side of their house that was my grandfathers so I thought hey lets make a planter with some plate flowers! So off to goodwill we went 2.28 later and 5 Dinner/salad plates and 5 small saucer sized plates we were ready to begin the adventure! My mom had some old medicine bottles she found at the property that were just perfect for the back of the flowers for the random wood we found around. You could use a thick sturdy wood dowel rod as well but we were going for cheap and awesome! For the filler in the box my dad had some extra gravel hanging about as well so we used that to hold the wood poles up.

It took us two tries to get this right...It is so hot here on our first try we used hot glue to stick the flowers together when the sun melted them apart! Our second try we picked up some ceramic super glue and that did the trick!!!

Her three in the yard...

Later I went on a ride with my dad on his Harley and like an idiot burnt my leg on the bottom pipes...Note to self...even in summer wear pants! So today we thought lets pick an easier craft and made some cute hair bands. We have some cloth ones to make still we bought fabric for but we started with a simple button hair band. You just simply take a giant awesome button, some elastic about 1/2 inch thick sized to your head snuggly and a needle with a bit of thread. Thread the button through. Sew the end and walah a new headband! So darn cute too! Here are my two.

Lazy Tamales

Waste not want not. You will probably hear me say this a lot in this blog. I hate waste. Makes me feel as though I am just throwing away hard earned money. We had tons of corn tortillas left over from a taco night in the end of June! I kept them in the fridge so they were still good but I figured I had better use them. I had heard about people running them through a food processor and using as a topping for a tamale pie...I thought why couldn't I do that but add some liquid and make it a paste and just do a tamale?! So this recipe was born....My dad liked it so much he asked me for the recipe 3xs before we were finished eating yesterday.

Lazy Tamales

Left over corn tortillas (we had about 25 or so)
Tapatio (or hot sauce of choice) spice to taste
Ketchup (in case you add to much Tapatio like I did!)
Grilled chicken deboned or meat of choice beef, pork, sweet potato (we just grilled extra from the night before and I seasoned it with a Mexican flare with cumin, chili powder etc) apx. 1 pound.
small bag of frozen mixed vegetables. I used the corn, carrot, and green bean one
chicken stalk or water

1. Boil up your vegetables until soft and strain. Set aside.
2. Tear up the tortillas and pulse in the food processor until sandy. Place in bowl and set aside.
3. Take left over chicken and pulse in the food processor until its just chopped up.
4. Mix the chicken and the vegetables together for the filling.
5. With the processed tortillas add chicken stalk until it begins to get to the consistency of oatmeal cookie dough. squirt in some tapatio/Ketchup to taste.
6. Take a piece of tinfoil and smooth out a blob of your tortilla masa mixture with the back of your spoon into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
7. Spoon your filling in the center smooshing/ packing it down. Make sure to leave enough room on the long sides for when you fold them up.
8. Lift the tinfoil and pull the sides up like you are going to put the long ends flat against each other and press the filling closed into a little tube. fold the top down sealing the top all the way tight to the rolled tamale and twist the ends closed.
9. Bake with a water bath underneath at 350 for 30-45 min depending how large you made them. Mine are quite large so they took 45-50min.
10. Let rest 20 or so min so they don't fall apart from being to hot when you open them. But even if they do they are still super.

Here are pics of the process

Run go now and make this!

http://blog.hostthetoast.com/three-cheese-crock-pot-macaroni-cheese/

Everyone should run and make this. The woman is a genius. Oh my gosh.  The only thing I did different was I am out of cyanne so I used crushed red pepper flakes and doubled the pepper. The mustard and nutmeg make a wonderful compliment.

My Birthday Dinner Celebration

So I was preparing for this dinner for 2 days. So much cooking to get everything all complete but so so worth it! Check out this spread!

We had sourdough bread, Jben (farmers cheese from scratch!Link here to my recipe earlier), Moroccan 5 salad, salad (carrot, green bean, beet, cucumber and tomato salad, and a tuna/rice salad), I forgot to put them on for the pic but there are also supposed to be a line of halved hard boiled eggs , and the main dish with the white spoon on it is Seffa Medfouna. Seffa Medfouna is chicken with vermicelli domed over with a sauce and some fancy nuts and dried fruit on top with cinnamon and ground fried almonds and powdered sugar. Its a play on sweet and savory. Then for dessert there are coconut almond truffles and we bought a red velvet cake. Oh and Bavarian buttermilk to wash it all down with. There was so much food and it was amazing! For the Seffa Medfouna I followed a YouTube video since my hubby wasn't here to help me (or make me my traditional German chocolate cake...sigh....I missed him on my birthday but he would have been proud of my dinner!) The link is here for her video Seffa Medfouna, Cooking with Alia . I love her channel! While the hubs and I use his moms recipes sometimes it is nice to see someone doing the recipe. For the other salad recipes I will post them below.

Here was my completed Seffa Medfouna

Carrot Salad

1 1/2 lb. or so of carrots

1 1/2 tbs lemon juice

1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil

1 tbs chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp cumin

salt

pepper

 

Peal the carrots and dice them into small little squares. In a medium pot cook the carrots until tender. Strain and in a large bowl add all the rest of ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

 

Green Bean Salad

 

2 cans green beans chopped into 1/2 in pieces

1 small roasted red pepper, seeded and finely chopped or sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes if making the salad the night before and you are out of the roasted red pepper

2 tbs finely chopped parsley

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 1/2- 2 tbs lemon juice

salt

paprika

black pepper

 

Rinse the beans and chop them accordingly. Add the red pepper, parsley, oil, and lemon juice, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix and keep chilled until ready to serve.

 

Cold Beet Salad (not the mayo one)

 

2 cans diced beets, drained and rinsed

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 1/2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs vegetable oil

salt

pepper

 

Mix everything together. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

5 Roma Tomatoes, Diced and Seeded
4 Med cucumbers, Pealed and Diced
1 part oil
2 parts vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Mix all together. Chill until ready to serve.

 

Tuna Rice Salad

 

3 cups cooked white rice

1 can corn nibblets

2/3-1c cubed sharp cheddar cheese

1 can albacore tuna in water Kirkland brand if generic use 2 cans the Kirkland ones are larger

3/4-1c mayo + vinegar for some tang or I like to use Miracle whip and don't need the vinegar then

Salt

Pepper

 

Mix it all together. Add more miracle whip to desired wetness. Chill until ready to serve.

 

 

Almond Coconut Balls

 

2 1/2c medium/course unsweetened shredded coconut + more if needed.

1c fine shredded unsweetened coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

15-20 or so dry roasted almonds

 

pour the sweetened condensed milk over the medium unsweetened coconut. If lots of extra milk left over put a bit more in. Let sit for 5-10 min. Roll into little balls and insert an almond inside and re roll into a circle to cover the opening from the almond. Roll the ball into the fine coconut and set aside. continue for the rest of the coconut. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

 

My uncle ate half the pan by himself of these!

 

 

My amazing hubby even though being away didn't forget me. He got me the most beautiful 2 dozens roses, candies, a birthday sign, and chocolates all delivered that afternoon. But first I got a birthday morning phone call at 430am so he could be the first to tell me he loved me and to have a happy birthday along with another surprise when we are back together. It's a while to wait but I can't wait! What an amazing day. Hubby to call and almost all my family for dinner. Only thing that would have made it better was if he was there in person. But I will be making this spread again since he informed me that I am a cruel cruel wife for making it without him haha.

 

 

 

 

 

MWR fun stuff/services they offer

http://armywife101.com/2014/06/7-fun-services-military-families-use-mwr-morale-welfare-recreation.html

What!  How cool!  She has a great blog for the military family. ..

Stressful

When I have a stressful day sometimes I need a treat to feel better.  Tonight is one of those nights.  So it's kefir milk and fresh sliced strawberries to the rescue!

Garden Summer veggies!

Man oh man I love summer for all the yummy produce you get from a garden. I made my favorite fresh tomato cucumber salad for lunch today with some left over meatloaf and cottage cheese. Of course my eyes are bigger than my tummy so the pups had a meatloafy treat! For the salad all you do is dice up your cucumber and tomatoes and then add some salt, pepper, 1 part oil, and 2 parts white vinegar. And BAM best most refreshing summer salad. It can be made as big or small as you like. If its a big seedy tomato I usually squish the guts out.  #Summervegsalad

For supper tonight we are having some grilled chicken and high heat roasted butternut squash and some other type of round white squash that looks like a daisy flower that my aunt grew. I love roasting veg in the oven the flavors are something remarkable. That sweet caramelization that happens with a crispy outside and fluffy inside. There are so many veg you can use for this recipe a lot time I mix and match several at once too. I love beets, yams, and butternut squash together.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Vegetable of some sort (squash, butternut squash, beets, sweet potatoes/ yams, carrots, parsnips- the white little carrot looking things)
Salt
Pepper
Oil
Optional: Flavor enhancer seasonings of choice (Mrs. Dash, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Evergreen seasoning, etc)

Preheat oven to 425. Dice up the veg into about the same size pieces for even cooking. In a bowl mix a light thin spread of oil over the veg and mix to coat evenly. Season with salt, pepper, and extra seasoning like Mrs. Dash. Bake for 30-40 min on a lined cookie sheet.

I have some great possible news a brewing with a maybe visit for Labor Day from my hubby! I miss him so much I am going crazy and if we can get a cheap flight he might get to come home! Yay! Yay! Yay! And some other good news is my mom is steadily getting better from her surgery.

Time to catch up...

I have been absent the last few days since my mom has not been recovering quite like she thought. She had to head to the ER so I have been there for quite a bit and then taking care of her while she is home. My poor momma. I feel just awful for her. But like a good momma she is milking the being waited on hand and foot for all it's worth haha! To catch up on some tasty treats I have made recently I made a sorta version of a yummy recipe from the blog of theworldacordingtoeggface. It is her phili cheesesteak casserole. yum yum yum. It may not look crazy good but let me tell you it is!!!! Here is her recipe and the link to her blog. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-in-my-pouch_19.html

Shelly's Philly Cheesesteak Casserole

1/2 a Maui Onion, diced
1 Large Green Pepper, diced
6 Mushrooms, sliced
2 small Zucchini, sliced
a little under a 1/2 lb. (about 7 slices) Roast Beef Cold Cut Meat, chopped
1 can (10.5 oz.) Cream of Celery Soup, unconstituted
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese, divided use (any good melter will do)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Sauté onions, green peppers & mushrooms till golden. Remove from pan. Add zucchini and sauté till golden and fork tender. Add back veggies. Add beef, soup, Worcestershire, 1/4 cup of the cheese & seasonings. Mix to combine and melt cheese. Pour into Pyrex casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

 

 

oh oh! And I tried out a new pizza crust recipe. It is so yummy. I would even make the crust to just eat it. My dad went crazy about this crust. Now it is super low carb but kinda high in cals so better stick to one piece and have a nice salad on the side if you are still hungry. One slice filled me up though so I didn't need anything extra. And the best part is its not made from cauliflower!

 

 Here is the link to her blog for the recipe for the crust. It's basically cheese, cream cheese, Italian seasoning, egg, and powdered parm. That's it! Our pizza had sautéed zucchini, seasoned ground beef, tomato, mushroom, olives, onions, and a little extra cheese. for pizza sauce I used good ol prego. It was quite delightful. The crust was thin and crispy just the way we like it.

http://lucysdiabeticfriendlylowcarbmeals.blogspot.com/2010/07/fantastico-pizza.html?m=1

 

 

 





ok time to head out and make some meatloaf for dinner. My dad requested it. I think he just wants left over meatloaf sammis this week.

Watermelon Slushy

I have been so addicted to these watermelon slushy things I found online. I don't like adding ice and changed the flavor because I don't have lime around and I add a bit of splenda. I have been making them everyday. Having the prep done early makes all the difference en you need that quick fix and without all that extra ice it's not so frothy!

First I chopped up my watermelon into cubes and froze it in zip locks with about 4-5 cups. Once froze I toss it into the vitamix add 2-3 tbs lemon juice, 2-3 tbs splenda,  and a bit of water just to get things moving.  Blend until smooth.

This is so refreshing!

You know you're in Idaho when....

So I missed blogging for you all yesterday as I had to take my mum and grandma to doctors appointments and I just couldn't get coordinated enough as the gym showed me that morning. So. I am at the doc with my mom for her back and we are waiting in the waiting room when these two old bittys start extremely loudly chatting. Apparently they both have shot themselves with their own firearms...Yep you read that right. All I could think is once you start shooting yourselves you should either a) take a class on firearm safety or b) have your guns locked up! They had to both be in their mid to late 70s I'd say. One lady shot herself a few years ago in her foot and almost blew it off and the other was there to get her cast taken off for shooting her .22 through her hand...she was trying to clean it she said. Crazy. And trust me if you know me you know what I think about firearms and our rights...I am all for everybody having them. It's our right. But as the daughter of one of those 2 ladies we would be having a chat I think...They were both really chatty about their experiences let me tell you. And loud! everyone just looked at them in disbelief. We were luckily taken back for my moms appointment and w/in 2 hours of leaving she was scheduled for surgery the next morning. We had to head over the hospital for pre surgery stuff last night so she could get in today. I am excited for her since now she won't be hurting anymore! In fact I am writing this as I sit in the waiting room waiting for her to be finished.

My grandmothers appointment wasn't as exciting but she is still a hoot at hers. Her doc office just gets a kick out of her. I wore a dress she made in the 70s and she had to parade me around like a doll haha! I love this dress btw. It makes me feel so feminine like Jean Terriany in the Ghost and Mrs. Muir. I just love that movie...It's an old Black and white. Well anyway my grandma and papa who came down later ended up staying for dinner along with about 4 other people not including my parents and I. Luckily I made enough dinner! We had sauerkraut and BBQ sausages along with strawberry pie.

German Sauerkraut

1 bag or jar (do not use can) sauerkraut
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cardamom
1 med onion finely chopped
1 apple pealed and finely chopped (can use applesauce as well)
White wine
1 tbs sugar
2 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated

drain and rinse off kraut well. Place in non reactive pan and add all your ingredients. Cover with wine and simmer for 1 hour. It's authentic and amazing! Next time I will probably use a little less pepper but my dad and everyone else likes things peppery. It was perfect with the grilled sausages. I would have cooked them in the kraut but I picked to small of a saucepot on accident.
Here are the left overs all sealed up in the lock n lock container.

 

Today we are having chicken and vegetable stew which I am so glad I pre made yesterday! Crockpots are your friend! I made this one with the whole chicken and this morning I skimmed off any extra fat on the top after I took it out and deboned it (the pic below has the fat in it as it is from making it last night). I even kept some of the chicken out for salads for lunch on Friday for some Asian chicken salads.

 

Chicken and Vegetable stew (Crockpot)

 

*All ingredients are approx. I like to just dump stuff in and eye ball it)

 

whole chicken

saffron

paprika

garlic cloves 2-3

1 med onion rough chop

4-5 med carrots large chopped

1 super large zucchini large chopped

1c sugar snap peas in the pods

1 tsp mrs Dash

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt

pepper

6 chicken bullion cubes

1/2 c chopped celery

1 tsp dried thyme

1/8-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 sweet peppers halved and seeds and stems removed (the little mini ones that come in the bad with red, yellow, and orange)

water to cover

 

Place all the ingredients in and full to fill line of your crockpot (mines a 6qt oblong). Cook on low for 8 hours stirring occasionally. usually around hour 4 I taste the broth to make sure I don't need to adjust the spices a bit. Take out chicken and remove skin and debone. Place meat back in pot in large chunks. Skim off the fat at the top with a spoon and that is it! Dinner is served. 

 

 

I love doing the whole chicken because it adds so much extra flavor and I always reserve a bunch of the dark meat for lunches for the rest of the week.

 

Well my mom should be out of surgery soon so I am gona get off here and see my momma soon!

 

 

 

 



It's a deer!

Busy morning here. Up and cleaned as usual. But that is nothing new. I did however finally get my chocolate mint plant transplanted into a larger pot. I am sure he is thanking me as we speak. Spread my lovely SPREAD! I had quite an awesome sight leaving the gym today. Out walked a buck right on the hillside in front of me! He mosied over to the tree and sat down to stare at me. So I took his photo.

This afternoon I am heading up to help my grandmother do some cooking. We are making strawberry pie. She bought another 28lb bucket so she figured she should make something with them rather than just eating them plain. I am sure it will turn out very tasty and very sugar filled so I shall just smell the pie goodness when it is done. Mmm pie...

 

Yesterday I got to see some clothes that my grandmother had made when she was younger. She was/is quite a seamstress. She even made my mom's wedding dress and all the bridesmaids dresses. Yep she is that good. I on the other had...terrible. I try mind you but I can't sew a straight line to save myself haha. I try to be crafty but sometimes stuff just doesn't turn out like I see it in my head. I did finish my dads gag gift for this back slider...It looks amazing. :) he is leaving it up but at first he said he wasn't sure if he could take all the Bettyness. I think the Bettyness won him over in the end hehe. You see... It's a crochet rope that is attached to the stick for the slider door so he doesn't have to bend over to take it out or put it in! I notched the wood so it fit in these little grooves so it didn't slide out either. Genius!

 Later I got to see my other grandma and her 2 little doxi's and we all had a nice chat. My dads mom is about as skilled at crafts as I am haha! The only difference is I still try but she has the good sense to know when she is beat.  I am toying with the idea of making a packed lunch picnic for her and I and heading out to visit her this week at work. I thought it would be kinda nice maybe on a cooler day and eat at the park their in Asotin. I am thinking maybe Asian chicken salad! I am going to crockpot a whole chicken and debone it for snacks/lunches probably tomorrow. Maybe I will check the weather for Friday!

I am really enjoying seeing all this family everyday. I didn't realize how much I miss seeing them so often living so far away. Maybe someday we will be stationed closer to them...I hope!

Spa Day and My Cabin Sign

So my dad left yesterday for his yearly weekend bike trip with his friend so my mom and I took advantage of the time and went up to the Coeur d'Alene River Casino and had some spa time. We left after work and did some gambling and had some amazing dinner in one of the restaurants there. I had the best turkey pot pie of my life! If I could find that recipe I wouldn't even try to make it healthy it was that good. They cooked it in a cast iron pan and I am thinking that made a huge difference but the inside sauce was the kicker...After dinner on the machines my mom did far better than I did. I lost it all haha. I am a terrible gambler (which is why I don't ever go really) We stayed in the spa tower that night with the most luxurious rooms and then followed that with our spa day. It was just what we needed. Now my toes are all sexy (see below) as were the hot tubs and Zen room. Wonderful wonderful. We left so relaxed. I didn't use the sauna this trip since my mom doesn't care for them and her back was hurting her a bit. What a day.

Today I got up bright and early and cleaned the house before she got up so she could relax before we went to visit my grandmother for a bit. She has a list of things she needs help with today so I am sure I will be plenty busy today up there and to tired to come back and clean their house so morning it was!
After my amazing chat with my hubby since we are apart for the moment (thanks Army) we made the sign for my little cabin my dad is making for me on the property. I think it turned out pretty good. I am excited to put it up this weekend! I will post a picture of the whole outside next week. It really is coming along. He fixed the water leak too so no more high water bill from my place. All that will be left is the plumbing for my sink and to take up the mini fridge/ hot plate thing and I am set! Oh and make curtains to hide under the sink :)

 

Oh and I am sure I will brag about this tomorrow but tonight is Fazari's pizza night! Woooooo! 

Turkey feta sun dried tomato burgers and beet salad

Some days I just want to shake my dad and be like GO TO THE DOCTOR! A couple weeks ago my dad took a hole or of his foot he is a diabetic with neuropathy bad. .. so that is not good. Then last night he takes a chunk it off his finger to the bone and I'm sure needs stitches. .. There was blood everywhere nope no doctor. .. sigh men. Have to be dying before they go. Alas to my recipe. ..

Turkey feta sun dried tomato burgers

1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp oregano
1/3 c feta
1/3 c sun dried tomato chopped
Salt
Pepper

Mix it all together.  Make 4 pattys. Use some of the oil from the tomatoes to fry them in. 

Crazy yummy. I used the sandwich thins a little bit of sour cream because I was out of Greek yogurt romaine lettuce cucumber and an extra crumble of feta and they were amazing for the burger bit. To pair up with the burgers I made a beet salad.

Beet salad
Cook and cube beets. Or take the canned make sure to rinse and dry them.  Add mayo or miracle whip salt and pepper.  Done.  It's amazing.  Do not use pickled beets.

Vegetable Beef Stew and the Thrift Store Steal

The other day my dad got out by accident a large package of frozen mixed veg and it thawed in the fridge. I hate waste so I thought what can I use this for...Tah Dah! Veg beef stew. Man did it turn out amazing. And so easy done in the crockpot.

Vegetable Beef Stew

2 lbs Beef Stew Meat
4 large carrots
6 beef bouillion cubes or beef stock to make 6-8 cups
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley dried
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2-1 tsp steak seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder (we were out of both garlic and onion)
salt
pepper
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
pinch of saffron


Toss everything but the veg in on low for about 4 hrs and then the last 2-3 toss in your veg depending how soft you like them.
total cook time 6-8 hrs.

Yesterday I hit the gym again this time in the weight room. Oh boy am I feeling it today! Feel the burn...My aunt went with me so was nice to have someone to work out with for a change. Then after we went thrift store shopping! I picked up this super cute middle eastern tea/coffee pot for 10 bucks! New never been used all real crystal and copper...what a steal! I forgot to put the heating deal in for the pic but check this baby out!

AND to top it all off I got me some camping shorts for like 2 bucks...What a great day yesterday. Today should be another crazy day with getting the dogs nails done, gym, helping my grandmother with a room she has full of boxes, and normal cleaning stuff...thank goodness I am just making a shrimp salad for dinner tonight. I don't think I would have the time for anything else!

Sold myself for a blender

Well Wednesday my parents best friend comes over and offered me a payoff I just couldn't refuse...A vitamix blender....the beauty of all beauties of the blender world...Costco had them on sale and he needed help with getting his house ready to be put on the market to sell. So basically I sold myself for a blender because you know I said yes when he was bribing me! I told my hubby that I had sold my self and he laughed and told me that wasn't possible since he had already bought me from my dad for a goat haha! What a goof...
Man it was the hardest work I have done in forever! His house hadn't been cleaned in I don't know how long. Some of the window blinds hadn't been opened in over 5 years...Don't get me wrong it wasn't stinky gross dirty just hey I am a bachelor and haven't dusted cleaned in over 5 years lol. Hard work it was yes but SO SO worth it! Such a beauty my new blender...Expect recipes to come soon! My first thing I want to do besides my few protein shakes I have done is soup. This thing can make soup!

While I was camping this weekend my dad and did some more work on my little cabin. Once we have the sign up I will post an outside photo. It really is coming along and I love it! When I am gone it will be great for others to use when they stay too. My uncle came up with us this weekend as well. Was great to spend some time with him. There was lots of swimming this weekend as well. The water was perfect. Not to warm and not to cold. On Saturday I made a chicken dijon quiche which despite the oven in my parents fifth wheel deciding to not work turned out amazing! I had to improvise and make it on the stove top. That was a bit tricky but I love a challenge. My dad kept picking at it well after dinner and took the last bit for lunch today he liked it so much along with making sure he had the recipe for when I am gone. Yeah it's that good.

Dijon Chicken Quiche

Refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust

1 onion, finely chopped

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. oil

1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/3 + 2 Tbsp. cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded baby Swiss cheese or sliced works just as well really

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sour cream

4 eggs

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. flour

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blind bake pie crust for 7-9 minutes until very light golden brown; set aside to cool.

Sauté onion, mushrooms, and garlic in butter and olive oil until tender in a medium saucepan. Add chicken, thyme, and chicken broth. Cook this mixture over medium heat until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in flour to create like a roux. Place chicken mixture over bottom of partially baked crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and baby Swiss cheese. In medium bowl, place cream, sour cream, eggs. mustard, and flour and beat well with wire whisk until combined. Pour into pie shell, carefully using the tip of a knife to make holes in the filling so the egg mixture goes to the bottom. Sprinkle top with remaining 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Bake quiche at 375 degrees for 35-43 minutes or until filling is golden brown, set, and puffed. Cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Army decal madness

http://armywife101.com/2014/07/love-soldier-decals-dangerous-military-spouses.html

What the crap! People make me so mad.

Hamburger Helper

I went to one of my favorite stores Grocery Outlet. I love it love it! I found the biggest most awesome giant bamboo cutting board for my hubby today. It's 20x18 I believe it said. I told him about it today and he is excited to get cooking on it. You can find everything there and random things. One of the perks to being home for a visit is I got to meet up with my best friend from grade school today. She is all pregnant and round so cute. We had a great chat catching up and I got to meet her new fella C. He seemed quite nice. I am super happy for her.

Tomorrow I am proud to announce I begin at my new gym here. I got my new little sun hat and sunscreen for the outdoor water class and I joined the inside weight gym too. I will do that though Thursday. Can't wait to get back there again and work my buns off! It was a little expensive but worth it for my health.

For dinner tonight I made my parents a low carb pasta hamburger helper dish. It was scrumptious!

Hamburger Helper

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 tbs cornstarch
2.5 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp onion powder
salt
pepper
3 cups milk
1.5 cups low carb elbow macaroni noodle
1 tsp sugar
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tbs ketchup

1. Go ahead and brown your ground beef in a fairly deep pan or pot (you’ll be adding a lot of liquid).
2. Drain the fat off the meat and put it back in the pan/pot. Add spices, water, pasta and milk and bring to a boil.
3. Bring your heat down to a simmer and let simmer until the pasta is finished. Add your ketchup.
4. Add your cheddar cheese and turn off the heat. Stir until the cheese is melted.
5. Let sit for a few minutes and serve!