Update on dinner

It was good, my crock pot foot melted off while making it though.  I had to prop a measuring cup under the crock pot to keep it even.  There has been an email to Hamilton Beech to talk about this little foot melting issue, I'll let you know what happens later.

Sheesh.

April Challenge

I'm doing a no-spend challenge. I'm putting away my credit cards so they are not even an option. Gas will come out of my debit card. I'm going to try to get through the month without even going grocery shopping. I have a huge stash so I would like to work through it. I will bend the rules if I do need some veggies though as I don't have any onions and I can't go that long without them. I do have a little wiggle room because we just cashed our rewards points from our cc in and have about $125 in gift certificates to fall back on. I've never done this before so I'm not sure how it will work but we shall see.

Generally we rely on a cash system for most things anyway, taking a certain amount out each week for grocery's and entertainment. I think this will be easier for us than it is for most but we'll see.   One exception is for Easter dinner I will be purchasing the ingredients for a family dinner that day.

Tonight I'm making a beef slow cooker recipe. Using 1lb of ground beef, 5 potatoes (cut like french fries), frozen latin mix (onions, peppers, corn and black beans), and 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese. I topped this with a couple of cups of salsa, some pats of butter, and whatever spices smelled good to me (including some sweet smoked paprika that I picked up in Lancaster). I layered this all in the crock pot and I'm cooking it on low for about 4-6 hours (pictures and review will come tomorrow.)

Mama K is the one who gave me this idea so check out her April no spend month as well.

Mini-Update

Hey,
Its me, you know the one who doesn't update her blog. Things have been happening and theres lots going to happen in the coming few weeks. I promise to tell ya what I've been up to and start updating on what will be going on. We are heading to Lancaster this weekend for a good friend's wedding and for a romantic weekend away.
Talk to ya soon,
Dirkey

Frugal Holidays

So one thing the hubs and I do for holidays is make our own cards for each other. The hubs will make a lovely card with what he wants to say in it. I know that he took time to make it and it says what he wants it to so I treasure it. Just a little thing that saves you $8(two cards) a holiday that to me is way way more special than the store bought version. His cards usually are made with some photoshop elements while mine are drawn with each of us using our strengths to show the other one how much we care. I love these cards because he usually will work in some inside joke into it so I'll be laughing out loud while reading.

Two Years

I'd do it all over again.
especially the Hawaii part
In the words of Salt-n-Peppa
"What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man.."

Just Thinkin

In 5th grade we had this contest at school.  It was a fundraiser to sell a ridiculous amount of magazine subscriptions or something.  For every subscription you sold you got points towards a prize catelog.  Well I got the most points and picked a chemisty set, yes I was/am a nerd.  One of my first experiments was to take whatever was in the fridge (some new england clam chowder) and make it do something.  Well I found a way to turn that chowder pink and I was so excited, I went down the road to show our neighbors.  I'm sure they were thrilled.   I was thinking this week that this was kinda like what has happened to the farming industry in the past 50 years.  They have found that adding a little bit of this or that deters pests, yeilds bigger harvests, etc. But just like that pink chowder, I'm not eating that stuff either.  Go organic :)

Joy Experiment #11

1.) Snow Days-Waking up to about a foot of snow after a mostly snowless winter.

2.) The hubs working from home

3.) A fire in the fireplace crackling and providing a nice bit of warmth as well.

4.) An empty sink

5.) A good pile of books to read

Funny for today

So I was down at Mama K's yesterday and brought her some prints that I got from Walgreens (they had a 20 free print thing going on the other day). Anyway Mama K's little boy W and my little niece Meggie are about two weeks apart in age and both little blonds with brown eyes. So I showed W a pic of Meggie and said "here's a picture of your future wife, w".
Well W looks intently at the picture for about 2 minutes then says kind of nonchalantly "I like that."
Let the wedding planning begin :)

Weekend Recap

We had such a nice weekend. Friday we went out to see "He's Just Not That Into You" for the most part I liked it as a cheesy date night movie definitely wasn't my fav chick flick though. Then Sat the hubs had band practice so I went with him and spent some time with the drummers family who are also great family friends. My friend Anne (the drummers wife) and I went out to lunch, I helped her alter a costume for a 70's party she was going to, then over to do some shopping. From there the hubs and I did a little bit of shopping and came home and vegged for a little bit watching a few episodes of Big Love (my new favorite show). We made a really great dinner of Fillet Mignon, asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes that we pared with a really good Merlot. After dinner we watched "Better Off Dead" and were cracking up we forgot how much we liked it.

Today we went to a church that a few friends have been telling us about and really enjoyed it. The message was insightful and applicable. We haven't really been too motivated to find a new church lately because most of the church's we went to haven't felt right to us. It was hard to me to figure out if it was the church or if I just needed to give it some time. The hubs and both really enjoyed our first time at this church, it is a bit farther away than I would like but thats ok. Its been pretty hard finding something so I'm pretty happy that things are looking up in this area.

I had some thoughts on Valentines Day yesterday. I do think the holiday is a Hallmark one that you can easily get caught up in the buy buy buy of it all and feeling obligated. However, I choose to look at is as another opportunity to show love. Yes, we should appreciate those we love every day but there's nothing wrong with a holiday that emphasizes that expression. This holiday we got small gifts for each other and made dinner together and it was amazing. The part that I was most appreciative was the thought that went into everything the hubs really took time to think of things that I would enjoy that to me really showed his love. I really love the turn that gift giving has taken in the past few years with smaller more thoughtful gifts and would encourage anyone to reduce the amount they spend and up the thought that they put into it.

My Amazing Husband Pt 3

So, yes, I am a lucky girl. This morning he ran down to make breakfast and this is what I came down to. He had the idea then when to Crate and Barrel for the execution. What a sweet sweet man I have :)

My Amazing Husband Pt 2

So I may or may not be slightly addicted to Facebook tetris. The husband accepts this of me and loves me despite it.
So you may realize why I thought this was probably the best Valentines Day card EVER!
I love the hubs mad Photoshop Skillz.

My Amazing Husband Pt 1

So we ended up being up until after midnight last night so we exchanged our valentines gifts and cards. I got him a thirty pack of Star Wars Valentines and wrote 30 reasons why I love him on them as well as a new guitar for Rock Band and some gum. He got me Smittens. As you might have guessed, this gift rocked my proverbial socks off. His wonderfulness did not stop there :)

Yes, we are that couple.

Joy Experiment #10

1. The springlike weather that we've had the past few days.
2. Romantic walks at night, hand and hand with the one you love.
3. Choosing to forgive
4. The future hope of finally getting rid of our ugly carpets in the living room and dining room!!!
5. Lame people that you watch on tv to just give you something to do while folding laundry. Wow!

Chinese New Year Parade

On Sunday I took my sick self out to China Town in Philly for the New Years Parade. It was pretty interesting to say the least. The parade itself was 6 or so dragons going around from store to store looking for these. Yes, thats a big long chain of fireworks with a head of lettuce on top.

Once they found them the dragons would dance around


When the fireworks start going off they "watch" them then eat the lettuce

I have no clue what this all means, but it was pretty interesting to see and a great way to take advantage of the 60 some degree day.

The hubs spending quality time with a dragon.

Wordless Wednesday

Joy Experiment #9

1.) Finally folding that last bit of laundry
2.) Listening to a brothers valentines poem for his wife and being proud that he left off the curse words.
3.) Finally downloading pictures from camera and finding one that makes you smile and laugh

4.) Thinking of the ways to show the hubs that I love him, then realizing how much I truly do.
5.) My fingerless gloves that were knitted by a friend that even though it was too warm to wear still made me smile by sitting next to me in the car today.

Happy Birthday Baby!

So I used my cake decorating skills that I've been learning at my Wilton Cake Decorating Classes to make a cake for my nieces 4th birthday. I have made a Similar Cake before but this is the first one I've made all by myself.

I don't know if you realize how much icing is on this cake but let me just say, its a ridiculous amount.

The beautiful birthday princess. We were so happy to share in her birthday :)

Joy Experiment Day 8

1.  Meeting wonderful friends that you don't see every day (or month ok usually a couple times a year)

2.  Ideas for a princess cake for a certain red headed niece

3.  Seeing that the items I need from the grocery store are on sale.  NICE!

4.  the hubs

5.  Finishing a book in a day.  

Joy Experiment Day 7

1. Kitty cat snuggles when your sick

2. The softest bathrobe in history

3. Not needing to leave the house

4. a good book

5. my windowsill garden

Joy Experiment Day 6

1. Good news from good friends

2. Snow Days

3. Working on accomplishing goals.

4. Late night Photography walks with hubs in snow

5. Party leftovers for dinner meaning you don't need to cook :)