A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

I'm all about seasons, but Summer has worn on my last nerve. As the temperatures seemed to be showing signs of lowering, I begin thinking about soup.   It kind of drives me crazy to hear, "Soup is just so hot." Well -- I kind of laugh because I'm thinking most  meals are hot and it doesn't keep me from eating them during the Summer months.   For me, though, soup is a comfort food. Usually not heavy, but certainly filling. I get a ton of daily emails with recipes and so many of them I just ignore. But a few weeks ago I received an email with a subject line of "Five Easy Soups." Of course, I took a peak and I liked what I saw! Not only were there five easy soups, but I believe all of the soups had only five ingredients. Sometimes, that can leave you with a bland recipe, but I have high hopes for these soups listed! One of the recipes was for this curry soup. Now!  Before you say, "I don't like curry," I sa...

There are so many good thoughts running through my mind. Pasta! Fresh pasta! Gluten free pasta! YES!!  Five years of being gluten free and having marginal pasta, this was a win! Thank you, Aldi! While shopping at Aldi, I found a FRESH, GLUTEN FREE pasta! Can you even believe it? Me either! I almost didn't care what it tasted like, I was just thrilled to be able to buy fresh pasta. OK -- so I did care what it tasted like.  I kind of over-exaggerated that point. The day Mr. and I were shopping, and I spied this -- I grabbed a few and texted my friend, Sheila. Sheila is a great hostess.  It was during a soirees that my girl cherub had Ms. Sheila's Alfredo sauce. That was several years ago, but I remember my girl cherub raving about it. As you know, I do not really care for pasta. I mean, it's ok. But the Mr. and two cherubs -- they L.O.V.E pasta. The kind of love that never gets tired of having pasta as a meal option. But as for ...

I grew up with my mom making meatloaf. I'd call it "homemade" meatloaf. What I have learned as I have grown up, everyone has "their" favorite meatloaf and nobody really eats meatloaf made by other people. It's kind of a weird thing to me, but at the same time, I totally understand it. Think about it . . . when you're having company over, do you ever think, "I'll make meatloaf." Nope. I don't! When you're taking a meal to someone recovering from an illness or surgery, do you ever think, "I bet they'll love to have a pan of my meatloaf." Nope. Me either! Meatloaf is incredibly individual, and even familial. My mom's recipe that she gave me is "hers." But truthfully, it's really the recipe from the back of the seasoning packet. Being gluten free has caused some changes in my cooking. One is meatloaf. While I have found gluten free packages of meatloaf sea...

Honestly, the Mr. and two cherubs never tire of pasta. They love it. I, on the other hand, am not so crazy about pasta. It's not a "love-hate" relationship, I would describe more of a "take or leave" relationship. If we are at an Italian restaurant, I search for something that sounds good, and it's never a surprise if I don't order a pasta dish. But let me camp there for a minute . . . pasta is so cheap to serve, but restaurants charge a fortune for it! It drives me c.R.a.Z.y!  Seriously! That really may be the root of why I don't go nuts over spaghetti! That, and it's served as "the cheap food" when you're trying to feed a crowd. Pasta -- my family loves it! Monday night, I'm staring at everything in the fridge and thinking, "what to have for dinner?" Then I remembered the homemade pesto sauce I have stored in the freezer. And the pasta noodles I just purchased. I knew my girl che...

A long time ago, there was a tomato basil soup mix that I loved. I made it a lot during the winter months and we would swoon over it. I've not been able to find a mix similar, but we still love a creamy tomato basil soup. I've looked for recipes that would seem to mimic that soup. While this one doesn't remind me of that mix, I sure do like this one! Since it's gotten cold, I had the Mr. grab the ingredients when he ran into town the other day. We were wrapping presents and I whipped this up and kept it warm until we were ready to have dinner. This is what the Mr. likes to do: wait until the very end and wrap all the presents at once. When Christmas day is practically here. This is what it does to me: causes me undo stress and tears. 22 years of this and I've said no more. As we both grabbed our own set of paper, scissors, and tape, I divided the gifts between us. While he was still finishing up the boy ch...

A loooong time ago, a friend of mine had a football watch party. At the party, she served all kinds of tailgate-type food. One of the things she served, of course, was nachos. But they were so much tastier than just plain 'ol nachos. She had "jazzed up" the meat that she put on the nachos. The other day, I texted her to ask what her recipe was. Remember, it was a long time ago . . . but I kind of helped to jog her memory and she gave me, "it was probably   . . . " " . . .or it could have been . . ." But thinking back to what it looked like, I went with the first option of possibility. Here's my dilemma:  I typically like tacos, etc, but I don't typically prefer the taco meat. It is usually dry. It's seasoned fine, but to me, it's just kinda dry. Not so dry you have to choke it down or chase it with a big glass of water. But just sorta dry. So I took my friend's suggestion, tweeked it a bit for what...

Smoking meat is one of those things I really want to learn to do. Correction:  smoking meat is really one of those things I really want the MR. to learn to do! He has smoked meat a several times. But truthfully, there is an art to doing it well. Some people call that "a knack!" The problem is that the Mr. doesn't want to learn how to do this "art," as much as I want him to learn! Oh, the problems we have! But!  My smoking meat dilemma was cured a few weeks ago when a friend of ours offered to smoke some meat for us. He's really good at what he does! He's even won a "smoking competition." Now!  Before you go making wise cracks about that statement . . .I already know what you might say. Honestly, though . . . there's a lot to being able to smoke meat well. And well he did! After the meat was smoked, the Mr. and I put it into the freezer so that we'd have it when we wanted it. This week, with the crazy schedule...

My girl cherub loves French Dip Sandwiches. It's kinda weird, because I really don't know what she loves about them! Because truly, a French Dip sandwich is really basic. Yet, if done right, the flavors are simply . . .yummy! I know it's customary to put cheese on the sandwich. But honestly, I'm not certain that it really enhances the sandwich. I guess, ultimately, it is a matter of preference. But the Au Jus? That is NOT a matter of preference! That little component is the essence, in my opinion, of the sandwich! That's one reason why you need crusty bread. To dip the sandwich. The dip of the crusty bread that will adequately absorb the Au Jus and not get soggy to the point of falling apart . . . that is the art of the French Dip Sandwich! Beef Dip Sandwich   3 pound roast of choice 3-5 cloves garlic, whole 1 can beef broth 3 TBSP soy sauce, gluten free 2 tsp. browning sauce (I like Gravy Ma...

A long time ago, there was a company that sold seasonings and mixes that made meal prep tasty and easy. They had a recipe for an easy spaghetti casserole. It's been years since I had made it and this week, I thought I would re-invent it and change it just a bit. Spaghetti pie is really a single-layer lasagna. It might be a little bit easier to assemble and your family might be interested in the novelty of spaghetti pie! My Mr. and cherubs really do love pasta. Whenever I make pasta anything, they love it! For my family, it would be really hard to have a pasta dish that would be dud for them. It's been so long since we've had this that both the cherubs thought it was a new recipe! My boy cherub liked it because he likes "pink sauce" for his spaghetti. "Pink Sauce" is a combination of Alfredo and marinara sauces on the noodles. They way I made this spaghetti pie, it was a bit like having "pink sauce...

Sometimes I hate having just a little bit of "something" in the fridge. Like "a little bit" of onion left . . .  . . . or a little bit of lettuce . . .  . . .or a little bit of cheese. You know; the amounts where you can't throw it out, because there's too much, but you don't really have enough for what a recipe calls for. That's kind of how I came up with this casserole we had for dinner the other night. There was just "a little bit" of some ingredients, so I combined them with other "whole" ingredients. If you want to make this, but you don't have the amount of the ingredients listed, that's OK.  Just make due! If you have more than the amount listed, that's OK too!  You have a choice!  Do I use "a little bit" or the whole thing? Cowboy Sausage Casserole "a little bit" of breakfast sausage (maybe 1/2 pound or so) (substitute ground beef if desired) "a little bit...

The other day, I was doing my grocery shopping early in the morning. As in so early, the stockers where filling the shelves. I kind of like it that early -- there's not all the hub-bub in the aisles or long waits at the check out line. While shopping, I ran into a friend. We caught up on life, chatted about the day and moved on. When I was leaving, she was leaving too. She called my name and asked if my family likes soup? "YES!" She sent me 3 emails with different soup recipes. I've only been able to try one of them, but it was a huge success! Suzy's Green Chili Enchilada Soup 2 large cans (28oz) green chili enchilada sauce 2 small cans diced green chilies 8 oz cream cheese 1 small onion, diced 1 1/2 cups instant rice* 1 can chicken broth** diced chicken (rotisserie or chicken breasts that have been roasted, boiled, or baked)*** 2 TBSP butter In a large stock pan, melt the butter.  Add the diced onion and saute.  Add in the chick...

I hate when I thaw out something for dinner and then we don't need it. That happened to me just the other night! I thawed out ground beef, with no idea of what I was going to do with it. Then the Mr. figured out that he was the only one that would be home for dinner and told me not to cook anything. But I already had the meat thawed, so the rational side of me said, "Self, why not go ahead and make something that can be used for dinner in a night or two." I didn't respond to myself, because there's a point when self-talk becomes strangely . . . strange! While browning the beef, I got out all of the ingredients for sloppy joes. I don't really care for sloppy joes, but the rest of the family likes them. But while grabbing the final ingredient, I decided I didn't want to make that and I would make soup. After looking through the cabinet, I grabbed a few cans of things and made this soup. I had no idea if it would be...

Many years ago, while living in Arizona, a friend brought dinner to us one night after we had our first cherub. That dinner left such a lasting impression on us that I still make it and it's one of our family favorites. Not only do I make the "main entree" like Lisa made, but I make the VERY dinner she brought to us 16 years ago! Zippy meatballs, cooked carrots, and mashed potatoes. It just goes together! Yesterday, when my girl cherub got new wires, hooks, and smaller rubber bands for her braces, and it made her teeth really sore! Tonight for dinner, we are faced with a dilemma! While we feel sorry for her, we still want to eat. And we don't want "soft food" either! I thought of meatballs! While we do really adore the zippy meatballs, I was wanting something to serve with rice. Sweet and Sour meatballs! Perfect choice! When you google that recipe, normally you find the appetizer option, using frozen meatballs. ...

Photo taken by my boy cherub When we rolled into the sleepy New Hampshire town and there were only two restaurants to choose from . . . and one was closed, we know our options might be slightly limited! In the parking lot, the Mr. said, "we might be eating gluten tonight!" We were wrong! Not only did they have gluten free options, but they even had a gluten free menu! Because we had devoured a ton of cheese and apples earlier that day, the Mr. and I decided on something to share for dinner. For a point of information: I am not really one that "likes" to eat out. Oh, I like to . . . but it's for strange reasons. As in, I don't want to order something I can easily make at home. Like a salad. Honestly, unless it's an "over the top" salad, I'm not going to order one as my meal. When I go out, I'm looking for things to try that I can then go home and replicate. That's what happened this night! ...

 My boy cherub turns 16! I think I'm ok with it. . . the driving part, that is! Is he qualified to be behind the wheel? NO! None of us where . . . but it's a right of passage, huh? Is he walking out to a car, sitting in the driveway, with a big bow tied to the top of it as his present? NO! That's only in the movies, or in other people's lives, but not in ours! It wasn't in mine when I turned 16. It surely wasn't in the Mr.'s, therefore, it is not in my boy cherub's! We are celebrating his 16th birthday though, and have been for a week now! He kind of likes it that way! Tonight, even though it isn't his birthday, we are having his family birthday meal. You know, where you can pick whatever you want for dinner, even if it doesn't go together? This year, he picked Cuban food. I'm a little shocked! Not by the Cuban food, but that it isn...

We love Mexican food. Admittedly. We have a terrible crush on chips, salsa, pulled chicken tacos, and most other Mexican-style food. One thing, though, that nobody in our family really cares for is the red chili enchilada sauce. Give us green. Or sour cream. Or even cheese. But not red. So think me crazy when I thought that I'd make enchiladas for dinner using . . .RED enchilada sauce. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was having pregnancy cravings. Because that's what was happening! I was honestly CRAVING red enchilada sauce. Of course, though, I didn't have any of the canned stuff. I don't buy it. But even if I did buy it, I wouldn't have it anyways. Because that's the law of returning home from being out of town. Whatever you need or want when you return from being out of town, you don't have. Period. You have to go to the store. But I wasn't going to the store, because I didn't want to. Plus...

Happy Ocho de Mayo! OK--it doesn't have the same ring as "Cinco de Mayo," huh? With this recipe, you'll be won't care what "day of de Mayo" it is  you'll be happy to have it! Over the weekend, my girl cherub found a recipe that she was dying for us to make . . . Tequila grilled chicken. Well . . . . let's just say we improvised, for a variety of reasons! Monday, I headed to the store to gather everything we would want to celebrate in a Mexican way! chicken corn tortillas jalapenos queso fresco cilantro limes margarita mix Yep, that's what I used instead of the tequila. Margarita mix! We don't know any different . . .we loved it! If you make this recipe, feel free to make any substitutions that you want; after all, that's what we did! My cherub got the recipe from The Pioneer Woman Well, not directly from her, but from the show, I guess. I never saw the recipe, I just went on what my cherub...

I don't even know what to call this sandwich from today! But we all called it good! Life at my house is just like life at your house right now! I'm not sure why Spring is this way . . . . but it is ridiculously busy and I'm not too sure that I can say that I enjoy it all! This weekend, we ate out twice! T.W.I.C.E! We just don't do that. But today, driving home from church, I was tempted to just pick something up! That would have made three times to have eaten out . . . in ONE weekend! UGH! On the drive home, with the cherubs, we discussed what to do for lunch. I already had Italian sausage thawed out in the refrigerator. That was our start! Here's what we did! We made Rustic Italian Sandwiches. This is nothing new for some of you, I'm sure! But it was new for us and we sure did like it! We are thankful for the bit of leftovers! Somebody is going to be very happy at lunch one day this week! Rustic Italian Sandwiches ...

That's a mouthful! And I want another bite! I'm not even kidding! I loved this sandwich! Seriously loved it! Soooooooooo  easy! I utterly impressed myself when we made it! Right now, we have no idea what season it will be when we wake up! It's totally frustrating! I love winter, so I'm sad to see it go . . .but I'm tired of having one foot in Winter and one foot in Spring! Heck, we go to my boy cherub's baseball games and we don't know if we need sunscreen or a blanket! We, and by "we" I mean "he," played Saturday and afterwards we, and by "we" I mean "the Mr," was going to grill chicken. I decided we'd have chicken sandwiches because when I made this decision it was Spring outside. But when it came time to actually cook, we could have had soup because it was wintry. But I stuck with the Spring menu and made this delish sandwich! FYI:  I made 6 sandwiches -- I pound the chicken b...

I love teaching. I have recently completed a long-term subbing job in a third grade class. I loved it; I loved the kids! I also love being at home. I have been a "stay at home" mom for a 15 years. I love it; I love home. Today, was my first day back at home! I cleaned the house and did some laundry. I got my hair cut and had lunch with my girl cherub. I made some gingerbread and chicken pot pie! The Mr. has been asking for chicken pot pie, but I've been putting him off! But today is his day! I'm so excited! I not only made chicken pot pie . . .but I made individual chicken pot pies! Everyone will have their own, stuffed-to-the-rim pan of chicken pot pie! How yummy . . .and domestic is that? Chicken Pot Pie (s) (makes 1, 9inch pie or 4, 4inch pies) 2 chicken breasts salt pepper turmeric 2 red skinned potatoes, chopped 4 carrots, cleaned and chopped 1/4 of an onion, chopped 1 can mixed veggies, drained heavy crea...