Monday Morning Meme

1. What are the warning signs that you should leave a party? List the things that might make you head for the door. Drugs would make me head for the door, but there was a time that they wouldn't. So glad I have grown and changed. Of course, I don't want to be around underage drinking anymore either. I also don't want to be around people that are super stuffy and looking down on me.

2. You’re stuck on an island with plenty of food, a companion, and a relatively stress-free lifestyle. What do you say when the rescue ship comes? Explain your choice. I'd say, "Take me home!!!" Stress free is nice for a vacation, but I need to be around my friends and family...even if that can sometimes be stressful. Some stress is good stress!

3. Whom do you admire the most? In what way does that person inspire you? I admire my mom the most. She is a hard-working, loving, caring, kind, compassionate, and motivating woman. She comes over and helps me with my housework and my kids. She talks with me, laughs with me, and once in a while we even get to go out to Bingo. She is just an awesome person!

4. If, at birth, you could select the profession your child would eventually pursue, would you do so? Why or why not? If so, what profession would you choose? If not, what profession do you think your child might choose based on his/her current interests/personality? (If you don’t have children of your own, pick a child close to you, like a niece/nephew, for example). I wouldn't want to pick my kids' professions. My father tried to discourage me from doing what I really wanted to do, and it didn't go well for awhile there. Right now I think Ali might grow up to be a lawyer because she loves to argue, Josh could very well be a monster truck driver because he loved Monster Jam, and at this time Meghan seems to be leaning towards food thief. She loves to sneak snacks! Hopefully she outgrows that and just wants to be a chef and give food to others.

Our Menu For 4/27/09 to 5/03/09

Monday~Cheeseburger Pasta, Buttered Bread & Pears
Tuesday~Scalloped Potatoes with Ham & Mandarin Oranges
Wednesday~Grilled Tilapia, Brown Rice and Lima Beans
Thursday~Applesauce Meatballs over Amish Egg Noodles
Friday~Mustgoes
Saturday~Blueberry Pancakes and Bacon
Sunday~Grilled Steaks and Steamed Cauliflower

~~~Food Holidays~~~

This week:

April 27th~National Prime Rib Day
April 28th~National Blueberry Pie Day
April 29th~National Shrimp Scampi Day
April 30th~National Raisin Day
May 1st~National Chocolate Parfait Day
May 2nd~National Truffles Day
May 3rd~National Raspberry Tart Day

Next Week:

May 4th~National Homebrew Day, National Orange Juice Day, and National Candied Orange Peel Day
May 5th~National Chocolate Custard Day, Cinco De Mayo, National Hoagie Day, Oyster Day
May 6th~National Crepes Suzette Day, International No Diet Day
May 7th~National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
May 8th~National Empanada Day
May 9th~National Butterscotch Brownie Day
May 10th~National Shrimp Day

Favorite Ingredients Friday~Dessert Edition

Banana Cream Brownie Dessert

Ingredients

1 pkg. brownie mix (13x9 inch pan size)
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
3/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped and divided
3 medium firm bananas
1-2/3 cup cold milk
2 pkgs. (5.1 ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) carton cool whip

Directions

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions for fudge-like brownies, stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanuts, spread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Slice bananas, arrange in a single layer over brownies. Sprinkle 1/4 cup nuts and 1/4 cup chocolate chips over bananas.

In a bowl, beat milk and pudding mixes at low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over top. Sprinkle with remaining chips and nuts.

Refrigerate leftovers.

Grilling Goodness

1. When you were in school, did you study hard or cram the night before? Generally I study a wee bit here and there, and I crammed hard the night before.

2. What can pull you out of a really funky mood? Sadly that would be shopping! Retail therapy almost always works for me.

3. Do you keep the invoice after you've paid the bill? Not unless I feel like I may need it in the future. I am a purger of papers, so it would have to be something big for me to keep the invoice.

4. Do you have yard sales? Shop at them? We have had one, and we plan to have another one this year. I have only recently become interested in having or shopping at them. I now realize that you really can find some cool stuff sometimes, and at a very reasonable price.

5. When was the last time you rode a rollercoaster? In November when we went to Disney World. So much fun!

6. Spring cleaning...do you do such things as wash your windows? Sometimes. Cleaning isn't a strength of mine....not even Spring cleaning. ;-)

7. How often do you clean out your refrigerator? I used to clean it out every week, but lately it has been more like once a month. Sad! I need to clean it out today actually. Who knows what I will find in there.

8. Have you ever been a victim of identity theft? No, praise God! I can imagine that would be a very frustrating and leave you feeling violated.

Food 4 Thought Friday

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Breakfast ~When was the last time you did something for the first time? What was it? Well, I know this isn't exciting, but just this week was the first time that I made homemade snacks for my child to take to school. They generally can only take store bought stuff, but I got permission and was allowed to bring little cakes for Ali's birthday treat.

Lunch~What's your middle name? Why? Marie. It is also my mom's middle name, and now it is my oldest child's middle name.

Dinner ~What was the first car you drove? My cousin Joe's Trans Am. He was 16, but I was only 12, and he let me drive it in an empty parking lot. I was not a good driver! I love that memory though.

Midnight Snack~What is the strangest/weirdest gift you have ever received? I can't honestly think of anything that would qualify as strange or weird. I guess I have been pretty lucky.

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?)~~ Don't be lazy! I am trying really hard to stay focused and get things done.

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Friday Fill-Ins

1. Apparently there's some sort of financial crisis going on. I think the problem is people want what they want when they want, and so they just go get it with credit cards or loans. I also think people want to do as little amount of work as possible, and they want to get paid a lot to do little. So, we should quit spending money we don't have, and quit being lazy, and I think we would solve our financial problems. Am I wrong?

2. Come on out and play sunny day.

3. 2009 hasn't been too shabby of a year so far.

4. I student taught, but that was it. Someday I hope to hold a paid position in a school. Since I am still paying on my student loan, I would like to feel like I contributed to paying it off.

5. For too long I've been fat, but what is a girl who loves food supposed to do?

6. I am not obsessed with the internet; I am not!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting things ready for my daughter's birthday parties, tomorrow my plans include going to my daughter's roller skating birthday party, hopefully not breaking any bones, and coming home to work on her birthday cake for tomorrow and Sunday, I want to go to church, have Ali's family party at our house, get organized for next week, and relax!

My Ali Is 7!!

My big girl is 7 today! It doesn't seem possible. It feels like only a short while ago I woke up in the middle of the night with sharp pains. It feels like only moments have gone by since my dad laughed at me and told me that I didn't know what pain was, but he said I would find out soon. Sweet man! LOL!

Seven years have gone by though, and in that time, Ali has grown to be a sweet, caring, yet sassy little girl. She is head-strong, emotional, and dramatic. She may not be the physical spitting image of me, but she is probably the child that is most like me. God knows how much I love that little girl!

Here is a picture of her before she went off to school this morning. She is getting so big! She will go to her 7-year checkup on Monday, but I am pretty sure they will tell me that she is 4' 4" and about 70 pounds. Yikes!

I picked Josh up early from preschool, and we went over to Ali's school for snack time. We took kool-aid and little flower cakes, which I made yesterday. Aren't they cute? Ali loved them!

Josh and I left after snack time, but I surprised Ali and went back and picked her up at the end of the day, instead of letting her ride the bus. With me I had a cute bouquet of flowers for her, and I put a card with them. The card read, 'Ali, I love you more than you love me. Never doubt that! Mommy' She and I always have contests to see who loves each other the most, and I always pretend she wins to make her happy, but I wanted her to know that I truly do love her more than she loves me. I win! ;-) Anyway, we put her flowers in her room, so that she can enjoy them. She even said that she will look at them when she is going to sleep. Here is a picture of them.

The night isn't over! She still gets to eat the meal she picked...tacos, and she gets to eat it on our Celebrate plate. Plus, she is a lucky girl because she gets a birthday party on Saturday (with her friends) and sunday (with family). Remember when birthdays were such a big deal? I love making them super special for my kids, and I hope someday their spouses will do the same.

Tasty Thursday~Pork Steaks

I made this recipe on Tuesday, and it was very tasty. It is super easy to make, extremely tender, and makes your whole house smell delicious. I served it with some Uncle Ben's Mushroom Rice, which went well with this main dish.

Pork Steak

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pork steaks
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 3/4 cups water
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Season steaks with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Brown steaks on each side. Transfer steaks to a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Saute the onions and muchrooms in the same skillet, once you take the steaks out. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, dry onion soup mix, and mushroom soup. Mix this together until a sauce forms.

Pour sauce over steaks. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes.

Thursday Thirteen~Letter M

13 Things About Me (& My Family) Beginning with the Letter 'M.'


1. Mamook~This is what my kids call my mom. Ali started calling her this when she was just a little thing, and we haven't stopped since. I think it is pretty cool myself, and I know my Mamook enjoys it too.

2. Meghan~She is my third child, and she is my second girl. She actually completes our family, because I had my tubes tied during my cesarean section. She is a spunky, but fun, 2 year old. Here is a picture of her before she even came home from the hospital. Wasn't she precious?

Here is a recent video I took of the little cutie pie...

3. Morel Mushrooms~Every spring Jeff goes mushroom hunting, and now he takes our two oldest kids with him. This weekend he will actually be taking them, and someday soon he will be taking all three. I don't join in for a couple reasons. #1--I don't enjoy looking for tiny mushrooms in large wooded areas...it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack #2--I don't enjoy eating them, so therefore, I don't enjoy hunting them. ;-) I am just not the outdoorsy person that my hubby is, and that is quite alright.

4. Medium~I love this show! It's one of my weekly must-see shows.


5. Moccasin~I went to my senior prom in a t-shirt, shorts and moccasins. Why you ask? Well, because I had graduated early, so I technically was not allowed to attend my prom unless I went with a current Junior or Senior. Since that wouldn't fly with my boyfriend at the time, we went for a little bit to see who got Prom King & Queen. I obviously didn't get all dolled up for that.

6. Motor~The motor in my first car, a 1984 Chevy Cavalier Convertible, blew up. Apparently you have to put oil in the engine. Who knew?

7. Middle Finger~My son, Josh, always points to things with his middle finger. This is especially bad when he is pointing to something in the sky. I have tried to explain to him that he has a pointer finger for a reason, but he just doesn't seem to want to change.

8. Magnolia~We have a magnolia tree in our front yard. It was actually gift from some of my friends when my dad passed away. Very kind of them! Here is a picture of my daughter, Ali, peeking at us from behind the magnolia tree.


9. Maid of Honor & Matron of Honor~I had both. My friend Betsy (to the left of me in the photo) was my Matron of Honor, and my friend Stacey (to the right of me in the photo) was my Maid of Honor. That was all I had...no bridesmaids. It was a small, but beautiful, wedding.

And here is a bonus M....Jeff and I went to Mackinac Island for our honeymoon. Here is the view from our hotel room. Beautiful!


10. Meat~The deep-freezer in our garage is full of meat. We have both beef and pork in there. I honestly don't think we can fit much more in there. We are set in the meat department!

11. Milk~My daughter, Ali, will only drink white milk, and my son, Josh, will only drink chocolate milk. Meghan prefers chocolate milk, but she will drink either. Crazy kids!

12. Mailbox~I would like a new one. There isn't anything wrong with ours. It's just a basic black metal mailbox on a wood post, but someday I would like to get something a little more decorative. Maybe something like the one below.


13. Mouse~We have a darn mouse living in our pantry. Heck, we may have mice for all I know. What I do know is that this mouse is smart. He hasn't fallen for any of the poison or traps that we have set out for him. Oh no, he is not your average mouse! I think we may have a Super Mouse in our house. Maybe it is Mighty Mouse.
By the way, when I was a kid, I had a Mighty Mouse doll, and I slept with him quite a bit.
Here is proof...



Join in on Thursday Thirteen, and don't forget to check back next week when I look at the letter 'N'...it should be a nifty time! ;-)

I'm Trying....Really I Am

Remember this post where I admitted that I am lazy? I also mentioned that I got organized, and I was going to try really hard to stick to a schedule. Well, Monday and Tuesday went great! I got all of this done...plus some!

Monday 4/20

Do the dishes
Take Ali to school

Mail forms to church

Thaw out tilapia
Call Grandma Rose about Ali’s party

Change the sheets
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine
Wash sheets
Pick up bedrooms
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine
Dust bedrooms
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine
Vacuum bedrooms
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine

Work in Grundy library from 1:30-2:30
Dinner~Grilled Tilapia w/ Sesame Asparagus

(start around 4:45)

Brownie meeting from 6-7:30
take out pork steaks for tomorrow nights dinner

Tuesday 4/21

Make the beds

Do the dishes

Take Ali & Josh to school

Take the trash to the curb

Clean main bathroom

Toilet

Sink

Mirror

Tub

Wash towels

Wash throw rugs

Vacuum

Clean master bathroom

Toilet

Sink

Mirror

Shower

Tub

Wash towels

Mop floor

Clean basement bathroom

Toilet

Sink

Mirror

Wash towels

Mop floor

Go to life group at 6:45

Dinner~pork steaks with rice (start around 3:45)

Take out hamburger for tomorrows dinner

I won't lie. My mom did help me with bathrooms. She is such a big help, and she knows how much I detest cleaning bathrooms. Anyway, I was just so proud of myself for sticking to a schedule, and feeling a sense of order in the process. I didn't feel rushed or chaotic.

Today is a whole different story though. I don't feel motivated at all. I keep looking at my to-do list thinking, "I can start later." In reality I can't start much later if I plan to get everything done. It's like there is an inner battle going on inside of me, and the lazy one always seems to beat out the organized and tidy one. Not today darn it! Off I go to tackle this...

Wednesday 4/22

Make the beds

Do the dishes

Take Ali to school

Clean kitchen

Wipe down counters

Wipe down cabinets

Microwave

Stove

Refrigerator

Mop floor

Sink

Bake the little daisy cakes for Ali’s school

Decorate the little daisy cakes

Josh has speech at 1:30

Ali has dance at 4

Dinner~applesauce meatballs over egg noodles

(start around 4:00)

Take out hamburger for tomorrow nights dinner

It's actually not a bad list at all. I CAN do this!!

Birthday Invite

I just have to share the invitation that I made for Ali's roller skating birthday party. Of course, I had to white out some personal information, which makes it look a little crummy, but you get the idea. Isn't it cute?

We sent it out to all the girls in her class, plus a few extra friends. I think they are going to have a great time!

Wordless Wednesday

It's 2:30 in the morning. Do you know where your children are? I didn't! I noticed our bathroom light was on, and then I checked in on my oldest child. She wasn't in her bed. Did I panic? Only for a second! I peeked across the hall, and this is what I found...

Isn't that the sweetest thing? Apparently she got a little lonely and decided to go sleep with her little brother. Not only that, she also seemed to get bored, and she took her Leapster and games too. Crazy kid! I love that little Sassy Frass!

Heads or Tails

The theme/prompt for today, April 21, is:

TAILS - "Once upon a time"

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a young girl who desperately wanted to be loved. She looked high, she looked low, but she never found her true love. Then one night the young girl went out partying with some friends. She was wild and crazy, but she was still desperately looking for someone to settle down with. That evening, after a long night of drinking (far too much for her own good), she passed out fell asleep on her living room floor between two of her friends. Both of these friends happened to be guys. One she had known for 7 years, and the other she had known for over a year. They were her buddies! She woke up in the morning holding the hand of the friend she had known for a little over a year. She thought to herself, "This feels nice!" She realized that love might just have been in front of her for quite a while, but she also realized that if she were wrong, she could ruin a friendship and feel humiliated. So, she chose not to act on her feelings. Several months later, these two young people finally admitted that they both liked each other. That was the start of a beautiful relationship. They married two and a half years later. They created three beautiful children together. Their story is far from over. In fact, it is still in the early stages, hopefully. ;-)

Monday Morning Meme

1. Would you rather be extremely successful professionally and have a tolerable yet exciting private life, or have an extremely happy private life and only a tolerable and uninspiring professional life? Explain your answer, please. I would rather have an extremely happy private life and only a tolerable and uninspiring professional life. I suppose I feel this way because my private life is what I consider my professional life, but many others would say that I am not a "professional", since I am not using my teaching degree. I would rather be happy with my kids, hubby, other family and friends, than be super successful in a career.

2. What are you doing to help the environment? Tell us how you cut down on your environmental impact. Not enough! There I admitted it. I don't recycle cans. I don't have a hybrid vehicle. I'm not using geothermal heat or solar panels. I am, however, slowly changing over some of my light bulbs. It's a start!

3. Who would you not mind being stuck in an elevator with? Someone who’s handy could help get you out. Someone hot could help pass the time. List who’s in there with you. Hmmmm? I think I would like to be stuck in there with my hubby. He works a ton, so we haven't gotten a lot of alone time lately. He isn't handy with elevators, so I am pretty sure we would be stuck in there for awhile. I could actually get him to talk with me about more than just the weather or politics, which irritate him, and I am sure we could find some other "non-verbal" ways to pass the time. ;-)

4. How often does your family have their portrait taken? Is it professionally done? If possible, post your last family portrait. Now that I’ve got you thinking about it, when do you plan on having your next family portrait taken? We have never had a professional portrait taken of all of us, but we do have professional portraits taken of the kids together. Of course, I haven't had this done since May of 2006. Yikes! I really need to have one taken of all of them in their Easter outfits. Here are some of the ones from the last time. The kids sure have changed a ton!

Our Menu For 4/20/09 to 4/26/09

Monday~Grilled Tilapia with Grilled Sesame Asparagus
Tuesday~Pork Steaks with Long Grain & Wild Rice
Wednesday~Applesauce Meatballs over Amish Egg Noodles
Thursday~Tacos with Guacamole
Friday~Mustgoes
Saturday~Pizza
Sunday~Hot Dogs, Mozzarella & Garlic Chicken Sausages, Three Bean Salad, Potato Chips, Cake & Ice Cream...We are celebrating Ali's 7th birthday

~~~Food Holidays~~~

This week:

April 20th~National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day, Lima Bean Respect Day
April 21st~Chocolate Covered Cashew Truffle Day
April 22nd~National Jelly Bean Day
April 23rd~National Cherry Cheesecake Day, National Picnic Day
April 24th~National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day
April 25th~National Zucchini Bread Day
April 26th~National Pretzel Day

Next Week:

April 27th~National Prime Rib Day
April 28th~National Blueberry Pie Day
April 29th~National Shrimp Scampi Day
April 30th~National Raisin Day
May 1st~National Chocolate Parfait Day
May 2nd~National Truffles Day
May 3rd~National Raspberry Tart Day

Organization...Or Lack Thereof

I just spent today organizing my menu for next week, making a grocery list, and then making a daily to-do list for each day next week. This is all great. It makes me sound organized doesn't it? I want to be organized. Inside of me is an organized neat-freak. The problem is that organized person gets taken over by the lazy person inside of me. The lazy person seems to be the stronger person.

I don't want it to be this way, but it is this way, so I try hard to fix this. How do I try to fix this? By doing what I did today. Getting prepared, making lists, and trying to organize a plan that seems reasonable. I pray that I can stay on top of my to-do list this week. Day 1 doesn't look so bad...

Monday 4/20

Do the dishes
Take Ali to school

Thaw out tilapia
Call Grandma about Ali’s party

Change the sheets:
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine
Wash sheets
Pick up bedrooms:
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine
Dust bedrooms:
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine
Vacuum bedrooms:
Ali
Josh
Meghan
Mine

Work in school library from 1:30-2:30
Dinner~Grilled Tilapia w/ Sesame Asparagus (start around 4:45)

Brownie meeting from 6-7:30
Take out pork steaks for tomorrow nights dinner

I think I can do that. Don't you think I can? I just need to discipline myself. I need to quit wasting so much time on the computer and the telephone.

Do any of you have this same struggle? Being a stay-at-home mom is great, but it also means that I have to structure my own time. When I had a job outside of the home, I felt so much more organized. I am not disciplined by a boss. My day isn't over at a certain time. Plus, it wasn't as easy to get distracted by other things when I worked outside of the home. Heck, I was always afraid I would get fired. Now, I don't have that fear. This job is the only one that has ever taken me this long to adjust to. Seven years later, I am still struggling. Please tell me that I will get the hang of this soon!

Saturday Special Meme

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~One Word To Start A Sentence Or Statement~
~Fill In The Blanks~

1. Goodbye is a word that I have had to say often in my life, and it is always sad to leave close friends and loved ones.

2. Saturday is a day for running errands and relaxing. Can you really do both in one day?

3. Special friends make life much more enjoyable.

4. Memes are lots of fun to do, and I am sad that Saturday Special Meme will no longer be played.

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Goodbye Saturday Special Meme! I will miss you! :-)
Thanks for hosting as long as you did, Toni.

Food 4 Thought Friday

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Breakfast ~When you need alone time do you have a favorite spot you like to go to? I love to go out to lunch by myself, when I need time alone, and I also like to go to our local library. Both of those relax me quite a bit.

Lunch~What is your favorite GUM, STORE BOUGHT COOKIE, and SALTY SNACK

Okay, I admit that I am not a huge gum chewer, but just the other day I was craving some Fruit Stripe gum. I used to love that stuff when I was a kid. I would give anything for some right now. ;-)
As for my favorite store bought cookies, I really like the Keebler Fudge Stripes the best, but I also love the E.L. Fudge cookies. Those are the ones that are shaped like the elves. I can eat a whole bag of those without thinking. Not a good thing!
I love salty snacks! I love salt & vinegar chips, cheddar & sour cream chips and movie popcorn, but I really love Gardetto's. They are salty, garlicky goodness!

Dinner~Do you speak any other languages? I took Spanish in junior high, high school, and college, but that still doesn't mean I can speak Spanish. I suppose it would be fair to say that I can speak a "minimal amount" of Spanish.

Midnight Snack~Have you ever been on TV? Not that I know of.

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?) Well, my kids have been on Spring Break, so my recipe has been to let them have fun! They have played outside a ton, and we even got to go to a park with friends today.

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Grilling Goodness

1. Do you prefer reality tv or dramas or comedies? I'm not a huge reality tv fan, but I love both dramas and comedies. If I had to pick one, I would probably pick drama. I suppose a girl has to have a little drama in her life after all. ;-)

2. If you could have free cosmetic surgery, what would you have done? Does Lasik eye surgery count? If I wasn't so afraid of the laser near the eye, that is what I would go for.

3. What are you itching to get but you have not 'bitten the bullet'? Well, I am a shopper, so when I want something I get it....usually. However, I have been wanting a new mailbox for awhile now, but I haven't yet taken the plunge. I can't decide what kind I want exactly. I need to do some research online. Any suggestions?

4. Do you have a bad habit that you hope your children don't pick up? Shopping! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind if my kids like to shop, but I don't want them to shop for theraputic reasons like I do. I shop when I am mad, sad, or happy. Heck, I eat at the same times too. It's just not healthy!

5. What was your favorite meal growing up? Grilled cheese and tomato soup...seriously! I not only wanted my mom to make it for me all the time, but I also ordered it everytime I went out to eat. I still love it, but not as much as I once did.

6. What meal did you have as a youngster that you don't have as an adult? I actually cook a lot of the same things my mom made when I was a kid. The only thing I can think that I will never serve is beets, and that isn't exactly a whole meal. My mom is an awesome cook, so I couldn't complain too much.

7. What is your earliest memory of a "vacation"? Where'd you go? The only vacations I ever remember were to Chicago to visit family or to Toledo to visit family. I'm taking my kids to Toledo this summer to visit family. History repeats itself. ;-)

8. What was the "Best Thing" you ever got for Christmas, before age 12? Oh goodness! I can't choose. I got a Cabbage Patch Kid the year that they came out, which I later learned my parents had to pay big bucks for. I also loved the Show 'N Tell I got when I was 4 or 5. It was awesome! Are you familiar with that toy? It looked like this...

You could watch slideshows on it, and they were narrated by the record. I could sit and watch this for hours. So much fun!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Join me in thanking Jesus for all He has done for us.

2. Put a little joy in your day!

3. Happiness is the one thing that will keep you sane. Trust me, I know! ;-)

4. Discombobulated and confused.

5. I'm waiting for my hubby to get home. He went out for drinks with his dad after work.

6. Pepsi is hard to resist. So are brownies, chips & guacamole, and Gardettos. Can you tell I am hungry???

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to a Vacation Bible School decorating meeting at our church, tomorrow my plans include getting organized for next week and my daughter is having a friend stay the night, so we will probably have movie night and Sunday, I want to go to church, relax, and enjoy the day!

Tasty Thursday~Taco Salad

Tasty Thursday is back!!! Trista took a little hiatus from hosting this wonderful meme, but she has revived it, and I am thrilled. This meme is a great way to get "tried and true" recipes. I hope you will play along too, and share your tasty treats. We know I am always on the lookout for good recipes. ;-)

Today I am going to share one that I have been craving for a while now. I think it has something to do with the warmer weather we have been witnessing. This is a meal I remember eating when I was younger, but it was mostly served during the warmer months. I hope you will give it a try and enjoy! :-)

Taco Salad

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 head lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 package of Doritos
1 bottle french dressing

Directions

Brown meat and drain. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes and then let it cool.

Break lettuce into a salad bowl, add tomatoes and cheese. Just before serving add meat, Doritos, and dressing.

Thursday Thirteen~Letter L

13 Things About Me (& My Family) Beginning with the Letter 'L.'



1. Left Handed~My parents were both lefties, but I am a definite righty. I can hardly do anything with my left hand. My hubby is also right handed, and it looks like all of our kids are too. It always amazes me when I think about how certain genetic things are passed on...or not passed on in this case.

2. Lampe Berger~I am in love with Lampe Bergers! They have three functions: 1. to clean the air by eliminating bad odors 2. to fill the air with a wonderful fragrance 3. to look pretty...of course! I have three of them, but I wouldn't mind having one for every room someday.

Here is the first one I got. It is in my living room, and I usually keep it filled with a scent called Ocean Breeze, which has a woody and fruity scent. It just smells so clean to me.
This next one is my Monet one, which I adore, since I am a huge Monet fan. I usually keep this one filled with a fruity scent, since it hangs out in the dining room. Right now it is filled with green apple, which just smells delightful.
My third, and final one (so far!), resides on the dresser in my bedroom. It is also filled with Ocean Breeze, but I would be willing to switch it out, if I could find a scent that better suits the bedroom.

3. Lake~Jeff proposed to me at Little Grassy Lake in Carbondale, IL. It was Labor Day weekend, and we had just gotten done eating pizza at a restaurant we both liked. He gave me a rose, and he asked me to be his "wife, lover & friend forever." How could I say no to that?

4. Lighting~Theater was my minor in college, and one of the classes I took was all about stage lighting. It's probably information that I will never use again, but the class was fun.

5. Larkspur~My birthday is in July, and the July flower of the month is Larkspur. I recently realized that my favorite flower, which is called Delphinium, is pretty much the same thing as Larkspur. How cool is that? I need to plant some. Look how pretty it is...

6. Lemonade~Well, in this case the lemonade I am going to talk about is actually Strawberry Lemonade. It is so delicious, y'all!! I made it last year for a Pampered Chef party I hosted, and I instantly fell in love. Here is the recipe...

Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
Ice

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.

Add the sparkling water/club soda and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnish with mint sprigs and strawberries, if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

**Thoughts~Strain strawberries after you puree them, otherwise you are left with a whole lot of seeds. Plan on this making only 4 servings. Also, you don't have to use fresh lemon juice.**

7. Lodge~A place that I used to love to go to back when I lived in southern Illinois was Giant City Lodge. Giant City State Park is absolutely beautiful, and the Lodge was built on the highest point in the park. There is a lot of history and beauty there, which you can enjoy while you eat a delicious family style fried chicken dinner.

Here is a picture of the outside of the Lodge.

This is a portion of the interior.

And this is the observation water tower that is right outside of the Lodge. You witness an amazing view from way up here!


8. Lazy~This is something that I can be quite often. I can especially be lazy in regards to things I don't want to do....cleaning for example. I'm not completely lazy. I mean I do lots and lots of good things, but there are just some areas that I prefer to be lazy. I'm bad!

9. Lullaby~Almost every night I sing Meghan a couple of lullabies. Sometimes she falls asleep while I sing, like last night, but most nights she sings along with me and pokes at my face. She is too cute!

10. Latin~Jeffrey took Latin in high school. I always thought that was interesting, since that wasn't even an option at the high schools I attended.

11. Lightning McQueen~Josh wanted a Cars birthday party for his 3rd birthday, and here is the cake I made for him.

I love making the cakes for my kids' birthdays. Ali's birthday is next week, and somehow I have to pull off a Camp Rock cake. If all goes as planned, I should have a cake that looks like a guitar, or a cake that at least has a guitar on it somewhere.

12. Logan James~That is what I wanted to name Meghan, if she had been a boy. Logan was picked simply because we liked it, but James was picked primarily because it is my father-in-law's name. I think it is a strong name that goes well with Logan. Looks like we will never have a little Logan James in our family, but we are quite pleased with our little Meghan Rose.

13. License~I flunked the driver's license test the first time around. The lady said I ran a red light, but I completely disagree with her. She must have been blind as a bat! I was so angry that I threw my keys at my mom when I got back into the building. What a brat I was! Oh well, I passed the second time. The guy that took me that time was very nice.

Join in on Thursday Thirteen, and don't forget to check back next week when I look at the letter 'M'...it should be a marvelous time! ;-)

Cool New Book

If you know me at all, you know that the book pictured above is my kind of thing. I love celebrating quirky holidays, and I love learning what happened on a certain day. Above all that, I love God. Listen to what the back of this book has to say, and you will know why '365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year' is now my most favorite book ever...

"Did you know...

• February 9 was the day volleyball was invented?
• June 7 is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day?
• October 8 is Fluffernutter Day?

Explore a world of amazing trivia and exciting spiritual truths with 365 Trivia Twist Devotions.

Each daily devotion is based on a historical happening, intriguing invention, or offbeat holiday associated with that calendar day. Everything from George Washington's birthday to National Waffle Day is used to reveal the truths of God's Word in a fun new way. Special activities, Bible verses, and additional fun facts help to give every day of the year its own unique trivia twist."

Super Duper Fun!!! Since today is Income Tax Day, that is what is discussed on the page for April 15th. It talks a little bit about what taxes are, and then it discusses how the people of Jesus' day didn't like paying taxes, since they lived under a foreign power. Luke 20:25 is discussed a bit. It also goes on to tell a few other things that happened on this day in history, which include Leonardo da Vinci being born, Titanic sinking, and Abraham Lincoln being shot. On each page there is a 'To Do' section, and today it tells the kids to ask a parent to explain how taxes work and what it means to be a good citizen.

I just had to share this book with you all, because I think it is a fun and interesting way to teach God's word. I am looking forward to using this book with my kids!

Our New Playset

The guys that built the kids' playset got it completed later last night. So, today was the first day they got to play on it. Here are the one million pictures I took of them. Can you tell we are all excited!?!?

Thank you Mamook for this wonderfully generous gift! You rock!!