Thanksgiving 2008
What I am Thankful For

Here are a few of the things I am thankful for:

My Nephew and Niece

Hunter

7 year old Hunter is always ready to produce laughs. He is as silly as can be and lives life to the fullest. In the above picture, I was invited to his baseball game earlier this fall. In true Hunter form, after he had his turns at bat (and did quite well I might add), he was swinging from the overhead bars in the dugout or climbing on the fenced wall. (can you say monkey??) As soon as he realized I was near the dugout taking pictures, he ran out, turned his hat backwards, stuck out a hip, and started grooving. Thus, the picture above. This is quite different from my brother's first baseball experience where everything was cut throat and serious from day 1.

Summer

3 year old Summer is all girl and all pink. I love it! The above picture was taken at the baseball field on the same day as Hunter's picture. While I was snapping photos of Hunter getting his groove on, Summer was behind me saying, "Take my picture." As I whipped around, look at what I saw. Where did that pose come from??? It was unsolicited and a sure sign of things to come over the next 15 years.

Both Hunter & Summer bring such joy to my life. We spend time laughing, playing and having a great time together.

Gas Prices

As of 11/24/08, the gas prices have continued to drop. I like to stay on the go so I am liking this downward trend.

Travel Buddies

When I have time off from work, I like to spend it traveling. I am so thankful for my friends Paul & Paula who are adventurous, fun and always ready to plan another trip. Click here to check out Paul's travel blog to see pictures of his recent travels, a list of his upcoming trips, and the very impressive list of countries he has visited. The three of us travel very well together. We are all independent and can easily venture out on our own in a foreign country or stay together for a full day of touring, hiking, shopping & eating. Anything goes.

Patmos, Greece
May 2008

American Airlines.....

.....takes me anywhere in the world I want to go and for that I am extremely thankful.

My Parents

a.k.a. PaPa (Fluff) & Mel

The older I get, the more I can see distinct parts of my dad & mom coming out in me. For Fluff, it's the social, friendly, jovial side. For my mom, it's the more laid back but stern & assertive side. Also being level headed comes from my mom. When we're around my dad's family, loud laughter is prominent so that's where mine comes from (sorry to my office mates at work when I burst out in laughter; i know it's really loud sometimes) From both I get my organization & planning skills. Our household was run like an elementary school classroom with a lot of structure, routine and always with a plan & schedule. We rarely, if ever, varied off course. I'm not that structured or scheduled, but when I need to pull from my past experience, it comes very easily for me.

For all these traits I have acquired, I thank you.

(Do you think I look like either of my parents? If so, which one?)

Does this picture have church directory written all over it??? Why do all church directory pictures tend to look the same? Maybe someday I'll take the time to figure it out.

Fall Colors

Each year when fall arrives, it is quite possibly the happiest I am all year. The colors, the crisp cool air, leaving the back door open, football season, fleece blankets, autumn-scented candles and cooking comfort foods are the things I treasure and look forward to each year.

Employment

Shopping Buddies

I am forever thankful for people who like to get in the car on a Saturday and open the malls at 10 and close them at 9. What a perfect day for me!

Pictured are some of my favorite shopping buddies: Robin, KV, Stacie and Pam at the Houston Ballet's 2008 Nutcracker Market. This year's theme was Rockefeller Plaza; thus, the background scene.

I have been doing some serious shopping with Robin since high school. We tend to venture out to several different stores & cities in 1 day.

I met Stacie in college and we were instantly friends when our love of shopping was discovered. That was even further enhanced the first time I met her mom. To this day, Stacie's mom Pam can still out-shop ALL of us! (those shopping stories are blogworthy for another time - just pictures about 6 ladies piled into a suburban with shopping bags & furniture strapped to the top, back, and so full inside that the people hardly fit for the ride home)

"Shop til you drop, then crawl."

Roxy

Roxy is the love of my life. She is always happy and loves to ride in the car - which makes us very compatible companions. I call her a model dog because she is one. When someone even hints at a flaw, I don't know what they're talking about. For almost 8 years, this little dog has followed every step I have taken. She is always by my side and never lets me out of her sight. Because of her fox and puppy-like face, she gets so much attention everywhere we go. It takes me twice as long to do anything when Roxy is with me because she is s show stopper. She does not like clothes and that is probably a blessing because if she did, she would have more than me.

She also goes by the names of "Little Dog" and "Foxy Roxy".
Thank you Roxy! You're a model dog!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Food Feature on College Game Day

Beef Stew

This is a recipe that came with the purchase of my crock pot. I have refined it over the years to my liking. Other than taking your first bite, the best of part this recipe is being away from home all day then walking inside to the delicious smell of a fully cooked meal.


















Before I list the ingredients, I need to emphasize the importance of using extra lean beef stew meat. My idea of great beef stew is to cook the meat to the point where it falls apart. As you'll see in the picture above, the meat is not in chunks. I have used 2 forks to break apart all the meat pieces after the stew has fully cooked. Some people really like perfectly cubed meat in their stew and if that's you, I would still recommend extra lean.


















When I grocery shop for the ingredients, I go first to the meat section. If they don't have extra lean beef stew meat, I leave & go to the next grocery store. In all my shopping excursions, I walk out of many stores empty handed but rarely the grocery store. It kind of feels funny, but you'll be glad you did. For the LJ readers, I wouldn't start at Food King or Walmart.


















Ingredients:
2 lbs. extra lean beef stew
2 cans beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 lb. carrots (chopped into small pieces)
2 potatoes (I use 2 medium sized baking style potatoes; chop into small pieces)
1 onion (chopped)
1/4 - 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Coat the meat with flour, salt & pepper. To do this, I put the meat, flour, salt & pepper in a freezer size ziploc bag and shake until the meat is coated.














Put the meat and all the remaining ingredients in the crock pot. Stir to mix well. The liquid level will be much lower than the ingredients but that's okay but the meat will produce juice during cooking. Chopping: I am a big fan of chopping the carrots, potatoes & onion into pretty small pieces. That's what my mom does so I have followed suit.

Turn the crock pot on high and cook for about 6 hours. Crock pot cooking times will vary. The stew is ready when the vegetables can easily be cut with the side of a fork and the meat crumbles/shreds easily by tugging at it with 2 forks.




As everyone is busy this week preparing for the Thanksgiving meal, this is a good, hassle-free recipe that can be prepared then left alone while you get many errands & "to do" list items done. It makes a lot, so you'll likely have left overs which is always a bonus!

I hope you like it!!

Food Feature on College Game Day

Taco Soup

After trying many Taco Soup recipes, this one is my favorite. I got it from the Weatherlys - Michelle to be exact. The key ingredient is the Velveeta cheese.



















Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 pkgs taco seasoning mix

Brown the ground beef & drain. Add the taco seasoning mix according to pkg instructions.

In a large sauce pan, combine (do not drain):
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can yellow hominee
1 can Rotel
2 cans petite diced tomatoes (if I only use 1 lb ground beef, then I only use 1 can of tomatoes)
1 can pinto beans (or add your own homemade; see my recipe)
Velveeta cheese (I usually use 4 oz for every pound of ground beef; 1 lb beef = 4 oz cheese)

Add the cooked ground beef to the sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 20-30 minutes.

This is so yummy and easy to make.


















Product Endorsement & a Story:
I like to cook large batches of soups & chili and freeze them. I have found the Ziploc twist n loc storage containers to be the BEST.


















A few years ago I was at a baby shower and it came time to play the dreaded game where you have to write your best piece of advice to the mommy to be. Being childless, I can't ever think of anything. At this shower, the host decided to read the advice to the group. It said, "Always stick to 1 brand of sippy cups. That way your cups and lids will always match and you won't be in a panic with a screaming child."

That was a lightbulb moment for me! I decided to incorporate that into all the plastic food storage containers I have. Once I found the Ziploc twist n loc, I decided to slowly weed out all the others. It has been great!

Gifts of Grace

Toy Drive for East Plano

Amy of Living Locurto started a mission project at our church that I am very excited about.

The goal is to collect 800 new toys! Wow! I am 100% optimistic this can be achieved but we can't do it alone.

Click here to read the details, the 3 simple instructions, and how you can help.

Here is an excerpt from her post:

"I started by asking around for something my MOPS (Mother’s of Preschoolers) group could do to help needy families in our community. I was then introduced to Pastor Roy Frady, of Willow Creek Fellowship of Plano, who serves mostly an underprivileged, multicultural congregation. From talking with Pastor Frady, I realized this community was in dire need of help. Along with needing food and clothing, he told me many of the children got nothing for Christmas last year, but small things the church handed out. I couldn’t believe families living only 15 minutes from me couldn’t afford to buy their kids ONE toy, when I have an ENTIRE playroom overflowing with them!

Amazingly, Pastor Frady has come up with ways to provide this community with food, clothing and school supplies. Well, then by golly… I wanted our MOPS group to provide them with toys!!!"

The deadline is Nov. 30 and toys should be mailed to the address given on her blog or to my home address and I will get them to the church.

On a personal note, if you know me, you know I LOVE to wrap presents . I have volunteered to help wrap any of the toys received that are unwrapped. This may be my golden opportunity to live out my dream! I have always wanted to get a job at the mall during Christmas to wrap presents. This project may just scratch that itch!

American History...........Awesome!!

Now for the first order of business, what kind of dog will the girls get?
I can't wait to find out!

Food Feature on College Game Day

Rio Grande Chili

I love this chili recipe! It's the BEST! Once I tried it, I haven't made another. I got it back in the day when I played Bunco.

As with all my College Game Day Saturdays, I had this timed perfectly with my first bite at the 7pm kick off between Texas and Texas Tech. What a treat!



















Ingredients:
2 lb. Ground Beef
1 Onion, chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 1/2 Tbsp Paprika
2 tsp Cumin
4 small cans (5.5 oz) Tomato Juice (or 2 large cans)
2 cans Tomato Sauce
Ground Red Pepper - use sparingly to taste

Beans: I am a big fan of the pinto bean and I love to add them to my chili. Click here for that recipe. Depending on who will be eating my chili determines if I add them. I usually have a big pot of beans cooking along side the big pot of chili, then I add some of the beans before simmering. If I am not sure if the crowd is a fan of beans, I leave them separate and serve the chili, beans, cheese and fritos buffet style.



















Brown ground beef & onions.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Bring to boil, then simmer covered for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
You can add water for desired thickness. I usually don't add any.
Serve with fritos or cheese.



















Chili KV Style - with beans & fritos, no cheese

Good Luck! I hope you like this recipe!

# 7 Texas Tech defeats # 1 Texas

Move over Buddy Holly.......the Texas Tech Red Raiders have now put Lubbock, TX on the map.

History was made yesterday with the final second defeat of the # 1 team in the nation. With guns blazin', ESPN's College Game Day came to town for the first time in the school's history.

Most definitely the biggest and most anticipated game of the weekend, the phone calls, e-mails and text messages were flying among my friends and family. As with all other Saturdays, our entire day is scheduled around the big game, and yesterday was no different.















As a Texas fan, a loss hurts, but I would rather lose to Texas Tech than most other teams. Now the eyes of Texas - and the rest of the nation - are on Texas Tech.