Nothing Is Worth More Than This Moment

I've had several of these "moments" lately....moments that I wouldn't give up for anything in the world. I was always a firm believer that a child sleeps in his own bed...no matter what! And when my little guy was a baby,he never slept with us. I just thought that it was better for everyone to be in their own beds. That is until my baby became a toddler who could melt my heart when I walked into his room and he's whimpering "mama, dada" - which I know to mean he wants to sleep in mama and dada's bed. How can you say no to that little person with these alligator tears coming down....And so, we give in at times, mostly on weekends when hubs doesn't have to get up early to go to work. The other night was one of those nights, we were not going to bed yet and so I was just laying down next to him for a little together time. (I've discovered he's a 'quality time' kid) I had been working more than my normal part time hours and I felt guilty that I hadn't had much time with him. So as we were laying there, one hand clutching his brown monkey and with the other he was running his finger up and down the bridge of my nose. It brought a smile to my face! What a precious time and nothing was worth more than that moment, not even the last 10 minutes of CSI that I missed! Cherish the little moments with your kids!

Easy Hamburger Quiche

I had my mom dig this one out this week...it was a recipe I remember us having - you know- 30 years ago. Could it really be that long ago?! I remember that I don't think I liked it very well! But I made it this week and actually enjoyed it, as did hubby.

EASY HAMBURGER QUICHE

1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c milk
2 eggs
1 T cornstarch
1 1/2 c grated cheese
1/3 c green onions
chopped green pepper (optional - to your liking)
9" Unbaked pie shell

Brown meat, drain and set aside.
Blend next 4 ingredients until smooth.
Stir in meat, cheese, gr. onions and gr. pepper.
Pour into shell.
Bake at 350 degrees
35-40 min.

Notes:
I think I ended up having a little more burger - so I added an extra egg. I'm not a green onion or green pepper fan so I left those out. It was still yummy!

Check out more great recipes at Grocery Cart Challenge!

Feb 15-21 Shopping Trip

I didn't have any pics of my groceries - so I thought this one I found online was funny! "Bent & Dent Discount Groceries". We have a local Liquidator that we call "Scratch N Dent"!

I just want to put a plug in for Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge....love the recipe swap on Fridays. I usually find 2 or 3 new things to try for the following week's menu.
Here are my shopping results for this week:

Prospector Liquidators:
3 boxes pasta (I keep pasta stocked so I don't have to pay full price at my local Safeway!)
mayo (only .99!)
TOTAL: 4.26


WinCo:
Parsley
Crisp Rice Cereal Bulk
4 Yogurt
18ct eggs
Fiber One Pop Tarts (only .50 after coupon)
Lunch Meat
Strawberries
Pint Sour Cream (Coupon)
Yukon Potatoes
2 Radish
Cous Cous Bulk
Brown Rice Bulk
Pine Nuts Bulk (yikes...$2.20 for a handful!)
Flour Bulk
Cucumber
3 Limes
Flavored Creamer (coupon)
Evap Milk
Cottage Cheese
Total: 28.92
Funny Story Here....I got a clerk who was obviously new - a young man who was probably still a teenager. What was my first clue? He rang up my bulk crisp rice as "Disney Tinkerbell". My second clue? When he came to the radishes he said "What were these called?" My third clue? A few days later looking at my receipt I realized he rang up my English Cucumber as a regular cucumber.

Safeway: Is the only store in my town....I rarely shop there except for coupon items or "lost leaders"
Coupon Items:
Brownie Mix .69!
5# Sugar 1.69 (cheaper than buying bulk)
Marshmallows (How long has it been since you made rice crispy treats!)
Big Bag Shredded Cheese 4.99!
Bread 1.59
2 Family Paks Hamburger (Raincheck item at 1.29lb!)
Fuji Apples .50lb!
Craisins .99
Total: 23.14

Fred Meyer: (They run the milk & oj at 1.00 each every 2-3 weeks. I stock up!)
1/2 gal milk 1.00
1/2 gal OJ 1.00
Total: 2.00

GRAND TOTAL 58.32

Dinner Choices this week:
-Costco Meatball Stroganoff-
-Hamburgers
-Hamburger Quiche (Will be posting Friday for Recipe Swap!)
-Tacos
-Cabo Chicken & Zuchinni
-Mexican Lasagna
-Homemade Pizza

Recipe Swap

Buttered Breadsticks

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
Melt 1 cube of butter in a 13x9 pan. (I use 1/2 cube )

Combine and let sit:
1 1/2 c warm water
2T Sugar
1T Yeast

In another bowl combine:
3 cups flour
1/2 t salt

Add wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well. (I use my kitchen aid mixer)
Knead on well floured surface for 3 min. (Again I use my kitchen aid, the dough tends to be wetter when you are not flouring and kneading by hand so I add more flour when I'm rolling it out.)
Let rest for 10 min.
Roll out on a floured surface 1/2" thick in a 13x9 rectangle.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1" strips, place in pan with the melted butter. Coat both sides of strip with butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese - to your liking!
Rise for 10 min
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 min

This feeds 4 piggies. :) It would feed more if you have more self control than we do! You just can't stop at one!
Sorry no pics today
Be sure to check out more great recipes at the Grocery Cart Challenge!

Indoor Snow Project

Here's a fun idea for your little ones - when it's too cold to play outside in the snow....bring the snow indoors! Scoop up some snow, bring it inside and place it in a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides) to contain the water when it starts to melt and then get out all your loose potato head parts and build your "indoor snowman"! Fun for kids and adults alike!
Click HERE to be linked to Rocks In My Dryer for hundreds of ideas, I'm sure you will find an idea or a project you can use today! I did!

Feb 8-14 Shopping & Menu

weekly shopping trip
& menu plan

This was not a normal week, our weekend plans took us near Costco so I stocked up on things I like to keep on hand. And I didn't get to my favorite liquidators, just WinCo. Of course my husband was at Costco with me and he had some special requests that don't always fit in the budget. :) I always get meatballs there - They are 12.99 and I get 4 meals out of it. Also, I got whole wheat tortillas there for 4.95 - same price as the regular ones. 40 in the package! You can't beat that price.

WINCO:
Plastic Wrap 1.57
1#Roast Beef for lunches 4.02
Lasagna Noodles 1.49
WW Mini Bagels 1.88
2 BB Yogurt .74
Salsa 2.76
Sour Cream .98
Frozen Green Bean .88
Frozen Corn .88
Bulk Flour 1.77
Cauliflower .98
Strawberries 2.98
Bulk Sugar 3# 1.61
1 oz cinnamon .18
Powdered milk bulk 1.38
Bulk oatmeal .73
Alfalfa Sprouts 1.48
Butter 1.98
Zuchinni 1.06
Pizza Sauce 1.19
Enchilada Sauce .57
Dark Choc Chips 1.64
Total : 32.87

Dinners for this week are:
Chicken & Dumplings
Homemade Pizza (a good way to diguise leftovers!)
Crockpot Lasagna
Chicken Enchiladas (also a good way to use up stuff in fridge)
Something with Elk Steak (Haven't searched for recipe yet)
Fajitas
Olive Garden Soup (dinner for couple who had a baby)
Valentines Day - maybe dinner out?

Today I crockpotted (is that a word?) a package of bone in chicken breasts that I got for 99 cents a pound a few weeks ago at Fred Meyer. This will go for my Dumplings, enchiladas and added to the soup possibly, if not the soup then the fajitas. No time for recipe links this week....maybe next week.
Be sure to check out how Gayle spent her grocery $$ this week at Grocery Cart Challenge.

For Sale: Potty Chair

POTTY CHAIR FOR SALE

Never Been Used!

Well it's not really for sale, because I'm clinging to the hope that one day he will use it! I must confess....I bought this silly thing when my little guy was 18mos old...those of you who have boys - go ahead and let out a big belly laugh! He is now almost 3 and has never used it. He won't even sit on it for fun. I wanted to be so prepared and I even bought a potty book....to no avail. And since we're talking confessions here - oh the thoughts that ran through my head when I'd ask my girfriends how old their boys were when they got out of diapers.....3.....half past 3.....I would put on the unshockable face and think, "Oh yah right, you won't catch my kid in diapers after 2!" LOL! You should have seen the inside of my head when my girlfriend told me she gave her kids marshmallows for going potty! No Way! Well little does he know I'd give him a king size candy bar and all the brown milk (translation: choc milk) he wants if only he'd just sit on the potty!

Kahlua Cake

I just made this tonight....my little boy wanted to make a cake....he loves to help in the kitchen. This recipe is a one-bowl quick dessert that everyone will want the recipe for! I usually make it a day ahead because it tastes even better the 2nd day!

Kahlua Cake
1 Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
1 small box Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 12 oz pkg Chocolate Chips
1 pint Sour Cream
2 Eggs
1/4 c. Oil
1/2 c. Kahlua
Mix all ingredients by hand just until moistened. It will be very thick. Spoon into greased/floured bundt cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Do Not Overbake!

Tonight I didn't have vanilla pudding on hand so I used Chocolate. I use whatever chips I have on hand - dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate. I usually use lite sour cream. Any kind of chocolate cake mix also works fine. It's even more heavenly if you frost it with a Basic Ganache!

Please be sure and visit the Grocery Cart Challenge for more great recipes.

What's In A Name?

Quite a few years ago I was eating at ChickFilA and had ordered a chicken sandwich (do they even sell anything else?). I took the top bun off to remove the pickles...and there on top of the grilled chicken was a pickle with a perfect heart cut out of the middle. I thought one day I'd find my soulmate and he would have the missing heart from my pickle. Many, many years later I married (at the ripe old age of 35!) and I have the most fun little boy. What a joy to go about my normal routine during the day and find things in the oddest places. It brought a smile to my face when I opened the fridge one day and there, next to the milk was my shoe - with a pickle in it. This blog is dedicated to my little guy, for the blessing that he is and the joy he brings to my life! So if you find pickles in your shoe, erasers in your dryer and sharpies in your washer, consider yourself blessed!