Home of ScrappinShannon

Martha, Martha, Martha!!!!

Why didn't I think of this when painting......  gonna remember this for next time.

 

Nice time for some soup, to warm up!

From our kitchen to yours – try these recipes this week!

Ratatouille Soup Are you looking for a hearty soup that doesn't take all day to make? Try this delicious soup packed with beef, pasta, eggplant and zucchini, that's ready in just under 50 minutes. Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 35 minutes Makes: 5 servings Santa Fe Chicken Tortilla Soup Using canned chicken, prepared salsa and flavorful chicken broth allows you to make this satisfying soup in just 25 minutes. Try it...it's zesty and delicious. Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Makes: 6 servings

South-of-the-Border Beef Stew Corn and potatoes beef up this Southwestern-inspired chili with ground beef, onion, tomato and chili powder. Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Makes: 6 servings Slow Cooker Moroccan-Style Stewed Chicken Enjoy the complex flavors of Moroccan food in this slow cooker dish where chicken thighs mix with a tempting combination of sweet and savory ingredients to make a mouth-watering stew-like dish. Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 7 hours Makes: 4 servings

Spicy Mexican Minestrone Stew Here's a casual, comforting dish that's great for friends or family. Picante sauce adds a zesty burst of flavor that makes this minestrone-style stew especially tasty. Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 35 minutes Makes: 6 servings Slow-Simmered Chicken Rice Soup Crushed red pepper adds some unexpected heat to this mouth-watering soup that slow cooks for hours, ensuring wonderful flavors, enticing aromas and minimal work for the cook. Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 7 hours 15 minutes Makes: 8 servings

 

Great post from Cooking with Stolen Momments, I wanted to share....

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and that 2012 is off to a great start for you!  One of my favorite new foodie blogs, had a great post today, showcasing 12 of their favorite recipes of the last 2011 year....  So I had to share and will be compling a list of my own of the new recipes I made last year, that became favorites for Neil and me.  Enjoy their list, their is a few I am going to try for sure.  And if you like these, sign up for thier emails and posts of new recipes. 

 

JANUARY

Chimichurri Steak & Vegetable Quesadillas

FEBRUARY

Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni

Chocolate Cherry Cobbler

MARCH

Italian Sausage Risotto

Lemon Coffee Cake

APRIL

Coconut Chicken with Pineapple-Curry Dipping Sauce

Minted Melon Salad

MAY

Roasted Asparagus with Red Onions & Feta

Hot Chocolate Fluff

JUNE

Creamy Stuffed Pork Cutlets

Pasta Salad Skewers

JULY

Stuffed Jalapeno Pepper Dip

Brown Sugar Chicken

AUGUST

Glazed Blueberry Biscuit Bites

Crockpot Country Chicken

SEPTEMBER

Veggie Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

OCTOBER

Baked Eggs with Bacon & Cheese

NOVEMBER

Chicken Enchilada Chili

Nutella Cream Pie with Hazelnut Crust

DECEMBER

Mac & Cheese Soup with Veggies

Round Two.... OMG, these recipes are fantastic

Meatball Sub Casserole

Chicken Parmesan Skillet Pot Pie

Halloween Pizza

Witch's Cauldron Pasta with Breadstick Broomsticks

Meaty Bones

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs

Breaded Herbed Chicken Fingers

Grilled Italian T-Bone Steaks with Tuscan Beans

Chicken and Black Bean Green Enchilada Rice Bake

Oven-Fried Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Pepper-Jack Chicken with Succotash

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

Mongolian Beef

Jack Daniels Glazed Ribs

Smoked Sausage Rigatoni Bake

Old-Fashioned Pot Roast

Creamy Chicken-and-Rice Casserole

Beef with Blue Cheese Butter

Margherita Pizza with Eggplant and Basil

Meatball Sub Casserole

Chicken Tandoori

Sausage and Pepper Skewers

Beef Stew

Meat Loaf

Country Pinto Beans

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto

California Club Sandwich

Greek Pasta Bake

Chicken Kiev

Bruschetta Chicken

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

The Man-Burger

Baked Spaghetti

Shredded French Dip

Chicken Divan with Rice

Chicken and Dumplings

Alfredo Sauce

5 Minute Chicken Chili

Beef Stroganoff

Lasagna Deliziosa

To browse through entrees click here.

Check out this new foodie site I found.... looks devine

All of the below links came from www.foodsnots.com from the quick meals link....  I want to try several of these quick recipes...  especially the sweet and sour chicken and the tandori chicken...  need to look at the entrees link as well.... Love it when I run across another food recipe link that is absolutely fabulous.  Thought I would share my awesome find.  ENJOY!

Halloween Pizza

Witch's Cauldron Pasta with Breadstick Broomsticks

Meaty Bones

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs

Grilled Italian T-Bone Steaks with Tuscan Beans

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Mongolian Beef

Chicken Cobb Salad

Beef with Blue Cheese Butter

Chicken Tandoori

Sausage and Pepper Skewers

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto

California Club Sandwich

Strawberry Banana Protein Shake

Baked Spaghetti

Chicken Divan with Rice

Chicken and Dumplings

5 Minute Chicken Chili

Beef Stroganoff

To browse through quick meals click here.

Free eCookbook for your kindle

FREE ebook: The Everything Potluck eCookbook!

Amazon has added a new FREE e-Cookbook for your Kindle. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can download a FREE app for your computer, BlackBerry, Android, iPhone or iPad.

Enjoy The Everything Potluck Cookbook (a $15.95 value) and be inspired to create some delicious make-ahead meals this holiday season.

Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!

Gooseberry Links for recipes....

4-Layer Cookie Bars Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie Country Noodle Soup & Cornmeal-Cheddar Biscuits Boo-tiful Pumpkin Cake Creamy White Chicken Chili Pepperoni Pizza Dip Enchilada Casserole Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes Apple-Pecan Maple Bar Shelle's Millionaire Pie Hanky Pankys S'more Bars

Stuffed Corn Bake + Links to 91 Hearty Recipes Make-Ahead Pumpkin Pie French Toast + Homemade Harvest Video Crunchy Biscuit Chicken + Big Book of Home Cooking Video Chocolate-Peanut Popcorn + Links to 65 Recipes to Make & Give Pumpkin Custard Crunch + Links to 85 More Pumpkin Recipes Trim-the-Tree Casserole + Links to 8 Reviews of Quick & Easy Christmas 4-Ingredient Breakfast Pizza + Links to 62 Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less 3-Bean Ravioli Minestrone + Peek Inside One-Pot Meals Free Download! November's Desktop Wallpaper Free Download! Holiday Helper with 12 Recipes, Tips & More

Starbucks deal

Starting Thursday, November 17th through Sunday, November 20th, visit any Starbucks and take advantage of their Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Holiday drink offer.  This offer is good between the hours of 2pm – 5pm only

Had to share this link with these 25 crockpot recipes!

25 Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes 

and many of you have requested more slow cooker recipes, so here you go:

25 MORE Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes!

(I have only tried a couple of these, but they all look amazing . . .)

 Slow-Baked Mac and Cheese

Thai-Style Ribs

Slow-Cooker Cajun Pork

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Sesame Ginger Slow-Cooker Chicken

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos

Crock Pot Grinders

 

Slow Cooker Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Marsala

Crock Pot Ravioli Casserole

Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie 

 Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Loin

Slow Cooker Triple Berry Cobbler

Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo

And of course I have to include some of the Sisters' tried-and-true favorites:

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Corn Salsa Chicken

Slow Cooker Bacon-Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken

Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Stir Fry Veggies

Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Stew

 

Love Gooseberry Cookbooks?

Amazon has Gooseberry Patch's Tailgating e-Cookbook for FREE for your Kindle.  Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can download a FREE app for your computer, BlackBerry, Android, iPhone or iPad.

Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!

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Sharing article from Cooking Light, cutting your sodium

Top Ten Ways to Reduce Sodium

These 10 easy steps, both large and small, let you keep the lid on sodium without a whole lot of sacrifice. By: Maureen Callahan, MS, RD

13 of 13 View Slideshow

Text size:AAA

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  Reduce Sodium for Good Health

   

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  1. Cook Often

   

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  2. Pair Takeout with Fresh

   

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  3. Practice the Incremental Approach

   

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  4. Label It Low

   

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  5. Take Salt-free Shortcuts

   

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  6. Ratchet Up Fruits & Veggies

   

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  7. Make Your Own Salad Dressing

   

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  8. Ease up on Salty Condiments

   

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  9. Salt with Style

   

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  10. Use Fresh Herbs & Spice Rubs

   

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  BONUS: Rock the Citrus

copycat recipes

 

Panda Express Copycat Spicy Chicken - Spice up your life

Cheesecake Factory Pasta With Bolognese - So hearty

Carrabba's Italian Grill Chicken Marsala - Unreal flavor here

Chili's Southwest Chicken Chili - Great for cooler weather

Starbuck's Style Frappucino - The needed morning boost

Ruby Tuesday Style Chicken Quesadilla - Super simple

Benihana Style Sesame Chicken - What you need for dinner

Chili's Style Chicken Fettuccine - Irresistibly yummy

T.G.I. Friday's Style Lemon Chicken - Brighten thing up a bit

Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Marsala - A recipe classic

Benihana Copycat Chicken Fried Rice - Quick weeknight food

KFC's Borrowed Biscuit Recipe - Try out this new recipe idea

No Guilt Wendy's Chili - Always a reader favorite dinner dish

Bob Evans Dinner Rolls - Serve alongside your favorite supper

Copycat Boston Market Squash Casserole - A must try dish

Olive Garden Copycat Lasagna - The entire family will love it

Wendy's Style Frosty - Cool, sweet and incredibly refreshing

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits - Everyone's favorite biscuit

Baked Blooming Onion - Healthier than the restaurant version

KFC's Creamy Coleslaw - A new addition to your collection

Crockpot recipe lion recipes

For the time-strapped home cook, the slow cooker is a savior.  Slow cookers are great for healthy eating because they work great with lean cuts of meat. The long cooking process adds healthy flavor, meaning you don't need to flavor a slow cooker dish with lots of salt or fat to have it taste great.

1. Slow Cooker Salmon - Heart healthy eating made easy
2. Slow Cooked Turkey Soup - Perfect for a chilly evening
3. Slow Cooker Shrimp with Chicken - Has two of the best flavors
4. White Bean and Basil Soup - Soups are a great low cost meal
5. Turkey and Zucchini Casserole - No oven needed for this one
6. Chili Verde with Pork - The very best of the Southwest
7. Chunky Chicken and Rice Soup - A hearty and filling dish
8. Apple Cider Pork - Use up the absolute best flavors of fall
9. Beef and Vegetable Soup - It's just what the doctor ordered
10. Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs - No outdoor cooking here
11. Easy Slow Cooker Ham - Does not get any easier than this
12. Creamy Crab Soup - Overflowing with irresistible ingredients
13. Island Pineapple Ham - Fruit takes this dish to the next level
    
14. Slow Cooker Italian Meatloaf - Keep your oven turned off!
    
15. Fall Squash and Caribbean Chicken - Delicious and easy
16. Slow Cooker French Onion Soup - A classic dish, reinvented
17. Easy Jambalaya - Cajun country cooking made healthier
18. Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup - Everyone will love this recipe
19. Mexican Style Meatloaf - The slow cooker replaces your oven
    
20. Ham with Beans - Way better for you than any canned variety
21. Slow Cooked Chicken with Soy Sauce & Brown Sugar - Yum!
22. Potato Soup with Black Beans - Start your meal off right
23. Chicken Noodle Soup - Mom's cure-all made healthier
24. Creamy Company Chicken Casserole - A real crowd pleaser
25. Slow Cooker Chicken Stir Fry - Turn your stove top off
    
26. Zucchini Bread in a Slow Cooker - For all novice bakers
27. Tuna Noodle Casserole - A retro dinner classic, simplified
    
28. Low Cal Slow Cooker Chicken - Always a reader favorite dish
    
29. Honey Hamburger Soup - Swap out the bun for the bowl
30. Slow Cooker Asian Pot Roast - Will please the masses

Peanut Butter recipes....

Creamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pie

9 whole graham crackers, finely ground

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

8 ounces softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9-inch removable bottomed tart pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place graham crackers, sugar and melted butter into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Press into bottom and up sides of prepared tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and cool for 10 minutes before filling.

3. Place cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and heavy cream into work bowl of stand or electric mixer beating until well combined. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips, mixing to combine. Pour into cooked crust, add remaining chocolate chips to top and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before cutting into wedges. If you are in a hurry, you can stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings

___________________________________

Other bloggers sharing peanut butter pie today

Peanut Butter Pie by Tidymom

Peanut Butter Pie For Mikey and Jennie by Panini Happy

Peanut Butter Pie Friday by Omnivore100Project

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie by CookiePie

Peanut Butter Pretzel Tart by Cake Duchess

Sharing Mikey’s Peanut Butter Pie by Tastes Better With Friends

With Love and Rememberance by Vanilla Bean Baker

Peanut Butter Banana Pie Shots by Smith Bites

Peanut Butter Pie Gluten Free by gluten-free girl and the chef

Peanut Butter Milkshake by In Katrina’s Kitchen

A Sandwich and Cocktail and Moment to Remember by Verses From My Kitchen

Love, Life, and Peanut Butter Pie by eat.drink.smile

For Mikey and Jennifer by Marche Dimanche

In Honor: Creamy Peanut Butter Pie Friday by Confessions of a Recipe Junkie

For Mikey: Jennies Creamy Peanut Butter Pie by Asian in America

Peanut Butter Pie by One Apron

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie by Chocolate & Carrots

A Peanut Butter Pie in Memory of Mikey by eatocracy

A Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey, Jennifer, and John by My Baking Heart

not nearly enough eanut butter pie by Running with Tweezers

Peanut Butter Pie Bites by Dessert For Two

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pie by Food Network

Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey by browniegirl

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey by 52 Sweet Treats

pie is love by userealbutter

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey by Zoe Bakes

a pie for mikey by Healthy Green Kitchen

Baking for Others: Peanut Butter Pie by big girls small kitchen

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey by Dula Notes

Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey by Expresse and Cream

My Pie for Mikey by Adryon’s Kitchen

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Recipe by Kitchen Parade

Weekend over already?

Man the weekends have been flying on by.  Friday after work, Neil and I headed to the Willis Tucker Farmer's market.... not many booths, pretty lame farmer's market... will go to country village next time.... the prices were out rageous too.  I guess they feel that if it is up in the ritzy Mill Creek area, people will pay $6 for some blueberries... not me.  Back into the car and Neil and I wanted some good food, so we headed to Central Market and spent over $100 on some ribs, sausages, sauces, Molsen Ice, Tom Douglas rib rubs, and several other goodies....  Went home and made dinner and watched a movie.  Saturday Neil volunteered and helped out his buddy and painted all day. (He took off his shirt and got so sunburnt!) He wanted color, he got it.  He is lobster red.  When he finally got home we had our second dinner on the patio and had chicken on the grill with baked french fries.  Good...  yummy.  Got out the sun burn relief bottle and watched Neil try to sleep in pain.

Sunday, got up and watched NASCAR, Kasey was doing so well, like always then something happens to him and he falls behind.  He just can't make it to the end....  He is in the wrong place, caught up in other peoples messes... plus his crew needs a kick in the butt for his pit stops.  Was very disappointed during the race.  Tired.  The sun finally came out.  Went outside and helped Neil do some more work on the back yard.  Got the wall ready to paint, fixed the one board and finished the trim around the doors and window... took down the shelf, got a plan in place for the new TV and shelf by the hot tub.... decided to head to Home Depot.... shopped and closed the place down.  Came home with lots of paint samples....  not sure what is going to look best out there.  Want to go dark... but kinda scared too.  Picking out paint for your house is hard work!  You have to live with it.  And I want to start spending a lot of time in the back yard when we get this all done. 

I am tired and need to get to bed.. this week coming up will be busy... getting the trailer ready for the trip to Oregon... Busy, Busy, Busy....  Wish it was Friday again.  I don't want to head to work early tomorrow morning...  never do.  Sunday nights are so sad....  I love the weekends so much.

We found the benches we are getting for the firepit too.... Costco online, so excited to order them.

 

Lots to do, so little time. 

weekend day one

Haven’t posted a journal entry to Typepad in a awhile, so I thought I would tonight… man, I get so depressed that the weekend goes by so quickly.  You blink and the weekend is gone.  I got off of work early on Friday to head to the skin doctor to get 2 of my 3 cancerous moles removed.  It went pretty good, then headed to Trader Joe’s to see if they had any of their vegetable samosas in… of course not… so I got back into the car and headed home.  When I was passing through Woodinville I decided to stop off at Target since I read of one my  buddies FB pages that all their summer stuff was on clearance at 75% off…..  of course not at the Woodinville store, but I was totally surprised to find out that the Woodinville target is all remodeled and they now have a grocery section…. They added onto the store and it is huge… they remodeled the whole store.  NICE!  I found the Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream flavors that only Target has….  Got to try the voluminous tiramisu…  Got home and rested a bit…(soon my incisions would no longer be numb anymore).  I made dinner, put some marinated chicken and carne asada meat on the grill and made a batch of killer salsa… OMG was it good.  Just threw everything in a bowl and it really turned out good. Complete with roasted corn, cilantro, peppers, tomatoes and several other things.  Yum!  Ate dinner and just relaxed.  My back was really starting to bother me.  Not sure why the skin doctor doesn’t give you any pain meds, because when you are not numb anymore, those damn incisions start to hurt.

 

Tossed and turned all night with my back and leg, couldn’t get too comfortable, every time I moved it felt like I was tearing open my shoulder incision.  Woke up this morning to some incredible soreness and very stiff.  Felt like I was stabbed and stitched back up… that is practically it.  Took some Aleve, wish I had something stronger.  Made breakfast and cleaned out the fridge.  Then got outside and helped Neil come up with a plan for the firepit.  We bought some veener stones to go around the concrete bricks and by the time I emptied the whole box and moved it twice we decided they were too hard to work with, we couldn’t get them to stick right and we would have had to buy more boxes since some of the stones we already broken in the box… we decided to return them to Lowe’s and make the firepit out of something else.

 

Loaded up the bricks, boxes of stones and headed out.  By this time it was 1PM, hit lunch at a new place out in clearview, Mongos grill, had a cute little gecko on the window… Neil got fish and chips and I got some fish tacos.  Both really good. As we were sitting outside on the patio eating lunch watched a car wreck on HWY9 right in front of us.  Glad it wasn’t us… the wreck ruined a few people’s day as they were not able to be driven after the wreck.  Headed to this really cool nursery in Clearview that had every natural rock paver, landscape dream material you could think of… we got the most beautiful stones for the top of the pit and the floor of the walkway between the deck and firepit… they look awesome, I can’t wait to see them all laid out on the ground.  We got the stuff returned at Lowe’s bought more stones for the pit and headed back with the truck loaded down with stones, bricks and sand.

 

Neil got busy and got the second part of the firepit done the surrounding walls….  I can’t wait to get the stones on top of it.  I think it is going to look fantastic when we are done.  Glad it is in the 70-80’s to work outside on it.  The umbrella makes some nice shade out by the table so it wasn’t all that warm out there working at all.  But I wasn’t working as hard as Neil was.  Doctor told me not to do a lot of heavy lifting or stretching with my incision on my back, she didn’t want me to tear it open or make it stretch itself, since my one on my arm did last time and she wasn’t happy with the way it healed.  She wanted me to relax and rest…  I got a back yard to work on…..  no time to rest.

 

We ate dinner and watched the news and I was in shock… found out there was a gang violence shooting in Kent at a car show and 9 people were rushed to the hospital tonight.  I am just in horror at all the massive violence in the news… with the 92 people shot and killed in Norway… the shooting here, and I guess their was a massive attack on people at a skating rink in Texas today too…. Gosh.  The world in which we live in is totally destructive, makes you want to not go out to anywhere anymore.  I like it at home more and more.

 

I have been thinking a lot today about my friends.  I have been worried about a dear friend’s dad that just had heart surgery.  They put in a stint for a blockage he had.  Another’s friends mother was in surgery too…  I hope everyone makes it ok…. Then get online to read all about Kasey Kahne.  I was so sick watching him flip his sprint car over the wall at the Williams grove track in PA.  If I was there I would have broke down and bawled for sure seeing that wreck live in person.  The beauty of seeing it now is knowing watching he is OK and walked away from the whole thing.  It happened Friday night.  He has this weekend off of cup racing so he took his sprint out for some dirt track racing.  If Tammy was there I bet she was scared to death.  It was a horrible wreck.

 

The little 9 year old girl that was injured in a terrible wreck on I-90 a few days ago… maybe it was Friday… she died today.  It was a huge pile up accident with a semi truck causing the whole thing.  I feel bad for her family. 

 

No wander my blood pressure is up.  Had it taken at my last thyroid appointment last week.  166/92, I think it was.  Yikes.  I need to work on it. I know it would not be that high if work was better.  I am too stressed all the time.  I need to work on it for sure.

 

Starting to get near the time of the 5^th year anniversary of Dad’s heart attack.  I am hoping to get through this August feeling happier than I have in years past.  I am looking forward to time with Neil, just ourselves and the trailer and razor in Oregon sand dunes, and getting out backyard all done and have some killer hot tub parties.  I wish Dad could see our deck and firepit….  I know he would like it.  I remember when he was here helping Neil mix concrete to line the whole property and fence so our dogs would quit escaping underneath the fence.  Dad and Neil worked hard that weekend carrying huge bags of concrete and mixing it up.  He was glad to help us in our time of need.  He loved watching and learning things from Neil I think.  He would totally love all the improvements we have made.

 

There was a 3.4 earthquake this morning in Carnation.  That makes me nervous too.  I know the big one is coming.  This area is due for something.  I hope not, but I know that it will. 

 

Tomorrow I am going to be sore.  Can tell it already, stiff and my foot is killing me.  I will take some pictures of the firepit tomorrow and the table/deck.  Moving forward… YEAH. It just might get done before my birthday.

 

Well, better get to bed and rest.

Slow cooker summer dishes, recipe lion

Greetings fellow healthy recipe enthusiasts, Don't heat up the house this summer! Enjoy all of your warm weather favorite recipes while still staying cool and breezy with these summer slow cooker favorites. From barbecue sandwiches to ribs and a lot more, your slow cooker makes summer cooking an absolute breeze. Enjoy!

Salmon Cutlets - For a light summertime meal Hawaiian Style Ham with Cherries - Add some island flair Chicken Chili with Summer Squash - Use fresh produce Low Fat Shrimp Marinara - Unbelievably tasty Slow Cooker BBQ Spareribs - Barbecue made easy Slow Cooker Chicken Stir Fry - A supper delight Tex Mex Ribs - Has that classic Southwestern taste Slow Cooker Asian Pot Roast - Truly remarkable Honey Mustard Beef Ribs - Hearty and yummy Turkey and Zucchini Casserole - Turn off your oven! Apple Cider Pork - Unreal flavor here Beef with Chinese Style Vegetables - Delicious Healthy Steak Chow Mein - Better than takeout Slow Cooked Chicken with Soy Sauce - Yum Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken - Keeps the grill cold Slow Cooked Mac and Cheese - Kid friendly Incredibly Easy Chicken - Universally loved Artichoke Chicken with Cheese - So sumptuous Slow Cooker Salmon - Mix up your food routine Low Cal Slow Cooker Chicken - Supper made simple Caribbean Chicken - The tropical touch Slow Cooked Asian Chicken - Always a favorite Island Pineapple Chicken Breasts - So tasty Easy Reduced Calorie Jambalaya - Cajun greatness All Day Chinese Style Ribs - Taste the difference Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Iced Tea - Refreshing Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs - Full of flavor Healthy Venetian Style Chicken - So delicious Fresh Slow Cooker Banana Bread - No baking needed Chicken Barbecue Sandwich - Made for summer

Best potluck recipes, from Recipe Lion

 

Perfect Confetti Pasta Salad — Best party salad

Mama's Hash Brown Casserole — So delicious!

Company's Coming Chicken Casserole  — Love it

Potluck Pasta Salad  — So good, so easy

Cheesy Artichoke Dip — Can't get enough!

Burt's BBQ Meatballs — Party favorite 

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Tuna — You will love this

Bacon, Dill & Onion Potato Salad — Can't go wrong with

One Pot Beef & Potato With Rosemary — Delicious!

Easy Blackberry Cobbler — It's the best

7 Layer Cookie Bars — Guilty pleasure

The Best 7 Layer Dip — Go crazy for this dip

Sweet Strawberry Pretzel Salad — Sweet sensation!

Easy Cheesy Potato Hamburger Casserole — Loaded with flavor

Show Stopping Broccoli Salad — Everyone loves this

Weekend

Wow what a weekend.  I am exhausted.  Thank goodness I took today as a vacation day since it sounded like our house was in the middle of a war zone last night.  Even though this year, we didn’t have the dogs for the first time in 16 years, I thought I would enjoy the fireworks for the first time in several years… nope, not one bit. 

 

I miss the fourth of July that was in Ohio…  BBQ, then out to the park for the fireworks… not every housing complex all through the living areas lighting them off.  I am not a fan of people being careless and setting houses on fire or pets and children getting injured because no one is watching them.  The news this morning was full of fire stories and injuries.  I just want one public show, go to it and be done with it. Not firewords going off to the wee hours of the morning. 

 

Neil and I didn’t make it out to see any… after 3 solid days of working on the deck…. We were too beat up to even venture out to friends houses that invited us over.  We ordered pizza for dinner as I didn’t feel like cooking again, and then went to bed early.  Woke up a few times to look outside and see clouds of smoke.  We slept with the windows all shut to keep out what noise we could.  Thank goodness it was not that hot inside our house with the windows shut.  Nice sleeping in this morning, even though I got up at 7:30… beats 4:30am!!

 

Well, most of the weekend was screwing in screws into the Trex decking… 3 boxes of screws…. 700 screws in each box… so if that tells you anything…. We have the biggest section of the deck done, and a 16 x 8 section left to frame and get boards down.  Felt like we lived at Lowe’s over the weekend.  Several trips there missing this and that. But all is good… little breaks helped in the heat to get a break to head to the store.  It was nice screwing boards down from 8-10am before it heated up with the sun.  I think Dad was looking down on us and helping us out as it was kinda overcast the one day… perfect for the deck building…. We didn’t see any rain at all.  YEAH!

 

Lowe’s was good to us.  We bought $2500 worth of wood and deck building supplies and then 10 days later, I spotted in the ad that the Trex decking was on sale…..  I talked Neil into taking back our receipts and getting a refund to the sale price and they did it!  YEAH.  We got back about $300 worth, the difference of the sale price on the trex decking…..  we also scored a deal on patio furniture….  On Thursday, I had my skin appointment…(Which wasn’t that fun since I have 4 new spots she biopsied), left there and Neil wanted to hit Costco for some socks… saw the patio furniture set that I spotted earlier in the spring, that I was eye-bawling… but couldn’t see spending $999.99 for it… Costco Woodinville had it marked down to $799, but there was not any boxes on the floor… I took the # to the sales counter and asked if any other stores had them in stock… as it turns out, Costco in Edmonds had 6 of them and there’s were marked down to $599.  Luck has it, we drove the truck to the doctor appointment, so onto Costco to buy the patio furniture….  I love it.  6 chairs that slide and made of aluminum so they will not rust and a long table with tile work on the front… looks like a Tuscany villa design on it.  All brown and tan colors.  We saw a umbrella at Costco too…  $75 bucks but it was gone when we went back to get it at the Woodinville one, the Edmonds one didn’t have it…well, luck was on our side again, as we stopped into Fred Meyer on Saturday to get some refreshments for deck building and babyback ribs for $3.88 a pound… saw an umbrella that swivals and tilts to where you want it…. Was $179, down to $89 marked down and I had a coupon to save an extra 10%... so score on an umbella too.  Thank goodness we bought it and got it set up as it provided very needed shade to work on the deck! 

 

Things are coming together.  Cleaned out the water in the tub and sat in it the other night and was so happy, the deck is looking nice and the house is getting to look so much nicer. 

 

Need to talk to our tree men down the street to see if we can score some free wood clipping to line everything in the back.

 

Need to come up with a design for the firepit and benches and the deck will totally be done.  Next phase is painting the house…  It needs it bad after the dogs pretty much discolored the whole house in the back….  We  have never painted the house since we bought it, so 1995… the house needs some love and new paint!

 

I found a new drink….  While in Freddie’s spotted a new flavor of Mike’s Hard Lemonade… BLUEBERRY…. In cans… OMG, good.  Was drinking those while working on the deck… only took one can and I was feeling it.

 

Fred Meyer still had the Java Monsters on sale for $2.00 so bought some of those too, wishing they had the Kona or the Toffee flavors there.

 

I went to Lowe’s today to pick up another container of screws and another L joint bar thing and stopped at Chili Basil to bring back lunch…  I love Thai… so yummy.  Wish I was closer to that to hit it for my lunch at work…. But with only 45 minutes, it takes too long to drive to Lynnwood.  Build one in Canyon Park please!

 

We are getting a Five Guys Burger place in Canyon Park… it is going where the old Hollywood Video place was… this made Neil’s day.  I am hoping a Del Taco comes too!  Nice to have some better fast food places around…. 

 

Thank goodness for Aleve.  I took some this morning and I think that is the only reason I am able to move today.  My back and shoulders and my bad foot, have not liked working on the deck one bit!  I don’t think I have worked so hard…..  and people do this for a living?  I am so out of shape….  Crawling around on all fours and the up and down and lugging 16 foot wood pieces to the saw…..  makes one very sore! 

 

Neil has Elite work to do today… bids, so I am just hanging out waiting till he is ready to work outside.  I went into the garage and tore down the cardboard from the box of the chairs and umbella… and took out trash and cans to recycle and got that all ready to go for Wednesday night. Pulled some weeds in the front yard, read my Food Network magazine and cleared out emails that I haven’t touched in the last few days.  It is 2:19 now and Neil is still working.  I hope he is ready to go build some frame soon!

 

Kevin came over yesterday and helped Neil will part of the framing.  Happy about that!  I can’t help Neil all that much with the building part of the deck… I work the drill and jig and that is about it.  We just have to frame the top of the concrete now and lay the last 17 boards and the deck will be done except for the trim and step part.  Kyle helping me put together the chairs yesterday.  I told Neil I don’t want to put up the fancy table until the deck is done….  I don’t want to set tools on top of it and something to happen to it before we even get to have a meal on it and enjoy it.

 

Scooter likes going outside…… but the old man, needs to walk faster through the grass outside or something…. I found out why he has been crying so much the last few weeks… he had a really bad case of the fleas!  This 19 year old cat has never really been outside… until recently, he snuck out for a little while and then he has been out with us during the deck build and Saturday night I was holding him and noticed a couple… decided to put him into the sink and Scooter didn’t even put up a fight at all… he just layed there and I was in horror looking at all them.  Neil ran to Fred Meyer at 10:30PM and we are giving Scooter a full on flea bath and picking them off with tweezers… let alone we can both hardly stand up and leaning over the sink doing this after a full day of deck work… Not good timing, but we were bound determined to get every last one off of him.  I think Scooter was finely better and felt so good, he slept with us that night and was purring up a storm…  I feel bad I didn’t notice them sooner… but he never goes outside, so I wouldn’t have thought fleas were bothering him… now he is getting the monthly treatments and powder before he goes outside with us.  That flea shampoo really worked….  He was covered in them and not one was on him the next morning after he was all dried… I am checking him good each time now.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of him just laying on his back in the sink… he didn’t freak out once with the water… he must have know we were helping him feel better.

 

Well, I think Neil is ready to go outside…. Later… onto more deck building. 

I am in shock still about the Casey Anthony verdict... that is a while post in itself.... so disappointed with that. She got away with killing her 2 year old.......

 

I Love Summer...always something to do!

=Thrifty NW Mom – Festivals & Fairs around the Puget Sound area (from Whatcom County – Lewis County)

• Frugal Living NW - Festivals & Fairs  for southwest Washington & western Oregon
• Happy Moneysaver – Festivals & Fairs for central/eastern Washington and central/eastern Oregon

King County:

• Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival - July 2nd – 4th; Lake Union park; Free admission, free boat ride, food, music & more
• Family 4th of July at Lake Union - Seattle; starts at noon with family activities, entertainment, & more. The fireworks show will be at 10pm
• King County Fair – July 7th – 10th, Enumclaw
• Kent Cornucopia Days - July 7th – 11th; Street fair, Dragon Boat races, Farmers Market & more
• West Seattle SummerFest - July 8th – 10th; free 3 day street fair
• Redmond Derby Days - July 8th & 9th
• Chinatown International District DragonFest - July 9th & 10th; Seattle
• Bite of Seattle - July 15th – 17th; Seattle Center
• Covington Days - July  15th – 17th; Covington;
• Vashon Island Strawberry Festival - July 15th – 17th
• White Center Jubilee Days - July 13th – 17th
• Enumclaw Street Fair – July 22nd & 23rd; street fair, entertainment, food, carnival
• Renton River Days - July 22nd – 24th; Entertainment, Art show & art market, food, kids zone, quilt show & more
• Bellevue Festival of the Arts & Sixth Street Fair -   July 29th – 31st;  Bellevue; free admission, outdoor show
• Seafair - August 3rd – 7th; Blue Angels performance on Fri, Sat & Sun; Airshow, Parade of Ships (Wed) & much more
• Lake City Pioneer Days - Saturday August 6th; parade, street fair, salmon bake & more
• Festival of Mt Si - August 12th – 14th; North Bend
• Auburn Good Ol’ Days - August 12th – 14th, Auburn
• Snoqualmie Railroad Days - August 19th – 21st; Snoqualmie
• Renton Art & Antique Walk - August 20th; Renton
• Bumbershoot – Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival - September 3rd -5th; Seattle Center

Pierce County:

• Tacoma Freedom Fair - July 1st – 4th; July 3rd- Tacoma Narrows Airport – air show, car show & motorcycle show; 4th of July – Ruston Way – fireworks, air show, vendors, food, entertainment & more.
• City Blast - July 4th ; Puyallup; live music, entertainment, kids zone, & more
• Pacific Days - July 8th – 10th; kids parade Friday night; Grand parade Saturday & more
• Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival - July 16th & 17th
• Sumner Arts Festival - August 5th & 6th
• Proctor Arts Fest - August 6th; Tacoma
• Renaissance Faire - August 6-7, 13-14, 20-21; Bonney Lake
• Pierce County Fair - August 11th – 14th; Graham  (We actually won a free month of swimming lessons to Kinder Swimmer at this fair last year)
• Commencement Bay Maritime Fest - August 27th & 28th; Tacoma
• Puyallup Fair/Western Washington State Fair – September 9th – 25th; Puyallup

Snohomish County:

• Mill Creek Festival - July 16th & 17th; kids corner, arts & crafts, entertainment
• Darrington Bluegrass Festival - July 15th – 17th
• Kla Ha Ya Days - July 20th – 24th; Snohomish; car show, carnival, parade
• Lake Stevens Aquafest – July 29th – 31st
• Stanwood- Camano Fair - August 5th – 7th, Stanwood
• Marysville Homegrown Festival - August 12th & 13th
• Taste of Edmonds – August 12th – 14th
• Stillaguamish Festival of the River & Pow Wow - August 13th & 14th; Arlington (evening music show on Fri 8/12)
• Evergreen State Fair - August 25th – September 5th; Monroe

Skagit County:

• Skagit Valley Highland Games – July 9th & 10th; Mt Vernon
• Bite of Skagit - Saturday July 30th
• Anacortes Arts Festival - August 5th – 7th
• Skagit County Fair – August 10th – 13th; Mt Vernon

Island County:

• San Juan Island Summer Arts Fair - July 16th & 17th
• Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival - August 13th & 14th
• San Juan County Fair - August 17th – 20th; Friday Harbor
• Island County Fair - August 18th – 21st; Langley

Whatcom County:

• Everson – Nooksack Summer Festival - July 8th & 9th
• Northwest Raspberry Festival - July 15th & 16th, Lynden
• Art 2 Jazz Street Fair & Jazz Festival - July 16th; Blaine
• Birch Bays Discovery Days - July 16th & 17th; Birch Bay- parade, arts & crafts fair, food vendors & more
• Mt Baker Blues Festival - July 29th – 31st; Bellingham
• Northwest Washington Fair – August 15th – 20th; Lynden

Thurston County:

• Thurston County Fair - August 3- 7th; Lacey
• Sand in the City – August 26th – 28th; Olympia
• Olympia Harbor Days - September 2nd – 4th

Lewis County:

• Southwest Washington Fair - August 16th – 21st; Chehalis
• Chehails Garlic Festival & Craft Show - August 26th – 28th

Kitsap County:

• Kitsap Arts & Crafts Festival -  July 29th – 31st, Kingston
• Kitsap County Fair & Stampede - August 24th – 28th; Bremerton
• Bremerton Blackberry Festival – September 3rd – 5th

Grays Harbor County:

• Grays Harbor County Fair – August 10th – 14th; Elma

Mason County:

• Mason Area Fair & Rodeo – July 29th – 31st; Shelton

Jefferson County:

• Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival – July 31st – August 7th
• Jefferson County Fair – August 12th – 14th; Port Townsend

Clallam County:

• Sequim Lavender Fair - July 15th – 17th; Sequim; 7 lavender farms on tour & a street fair
• Arts in Action - July 22nd – 24th; Port Angeles
• Clallam County Fair – August 18th – 21st; Port Angeles

Pacific County:

• Washington State International Kite Festival – August 15th – 21st; Long Beach
• Pacific County Fair - August 24th – 27th; Menlo