Three people.....Cathy K, Alex and last but not least--Melissa

Wow! Day two of spring break and I haven't done ANYTHING that isn't absolutely necessary! I have finished 2 1/2 books, caught up on my googlereader reading and searched for new recipes. And i took a nap this afternoon. Tomorrow is the day it ends, though.....back to finishing the laundry (there's a load either in the dryer or washing machine, I can't even remember which, dusting, sweeping and mopping, and vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, and maybe cleaning out some in the garage. Plus whatever Coy comes up with. He has told the girls they have to move rocks tomorrow, but we'll see. (He tells them to move them then has them move them back to the exact spot. I don't know why. They hate it and he loves it.)  I DO see the girls point on this one, though! But this post is not about my to do list. It's about three special people celebrating something today, March 13.

First  up is Cathy K. (notice I didn't even try to spell her last name....)  She is the daughter of a very special person to me-Mrs. Yarbrough. Mrs. Yarbrough was an awesome lady and a true teacher. she was the elementary principal when Coy and I got married and moved to Evant. She was more than an elementary principal. She had done a little bit of everything in that school and touched so many lives. At that time Cathy was a first grade teacher in Hamilton, a little ways down the road. When they moved me from PE to 1st grade, it was Cathy's classroom i went to visit. She was organized and everything looked wonderful. Little did I know how inept I would be as a 1st grade teacher! But there was a goodto being  to being in 1st grade that year. Cathy switched to teaching 2nd grade in Evant and was there to answer my MANY questions. Fortunately I was 'returned' to PE and Cathy and I grew even closer as her boys were naturals at sports and games. Cathy and I continued our friendship once we moved and she even came to visit me once! Cathy is the kind of friend I can tell anything to-any of my Laurie ways aer considered juts that and usually not offensive to her. She has always seemed to 'get me'. She remarried after we moved and I went back to her wedding. We don't always talk alot now. but I know I can count on her. (man, I miss that playground!) She is someone I can call in the middle of the night if I needed to and she and Mike would be here when I woke up the next morning. Happy Birthday, Cathy!


Ok, this next two come as as a pair, literally! Alex married my baby sister Melissa7 years ago this afternoon! Their wedding was one of the most beautiful I have ever been to. She looked beautiful, Alex looked stunning and Ben and John were just adorable!  Alex and Melissa have been a true asset to our family.. They have stepped up when someone needed to, often at a cost to their family, both money and time wise. Their house is where Mom and dad go when they doctor appointments or generally need something. She is the most creative person I know and he is the most talented person I know. She can make anything and he can pretty much fix anything, especially things on a vehicle. I never will forget my shock when Marcy passed. I looked in their garage and there sat a hippy van. Yes, he was working on a hippy van at the time!!!!  They have definitely been through some tough times-tougher than I want to go through and have come out stronger. They are two of teh most giving people I know. I never know when I'll find a box by the door from them. And let me tell ya it makes my day!   Melissa has become a best friend over the years and I never would have thought would happen. I always have felt like I missed a lot of her and Mike growing up because I was away at college during their teen years. I am so thankful we have become great friends and someone each other can count on. She can make anything and organize and clean anything she can't make. She is so talented and special!!!!!   I love you both and am very proud of you both!

Broccoli Cole Slaw

Oh my!!!! Coy has gotten into the kitchen this afternoon! He had this salad at work. He loves it and made it himself!  I bet we make this alot this spring and summer! I think he got the recipe from Debbie Myers.

Broccoli ColeSlaw

1 bag broccoli cole slaw (from store-has shredded broccoli, carrots and red cabbage in it)
2 Tablespoons ranch dressing
1 avacado

Split avacado open and scoop out the insides. Mash in a bowl. Add ranch dressing and mix well. Stir into broccoli coleslaw.

Waffles

HOO-WHEE ! This is my 301st post!!!!!!!!  Spring break has sprung and so far it feels great! I stayed up to finish reading a book last night! JoGail wanted waffles this morning, so she found a recipe online and to the kitchen we went! They turned out really really good. It was a great way to start spring break!

Waffles
from allrecipes.com

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Beat egg together, add rest of wet ingredients.
Slowly mix in dry ingredients-be careful not to over mix.
Cook in waffle iron.

I finished my menu planning (finally) for the coming week. I'm cooking up some favorites and some new recipes. So Coy and I will go to the grocery store this morning and hopefully get everything we need for the week. I soooo do not want to go back to the store!


It's a beautiful day here, so I'm getting outside this afternoon.....maybe....if I'm not napping!

Jane and Jodie's Pulled Pork

I have been reading for a LONG time on the Internet about people raving about pulled pork. I wasn't even sure what it was. Then somehow we got to talking about it the other day in the office and Jand and Jodie told me how they make it. I kind of took their two recipe and combined it into one. I cooked it in the crock pot most of yesterday and then on low this morning while we were at Sunday School and church. It was sooo good! I'm already thinking this will be a great summertime recipe. Cook the pork, get some buns, baked beans and chips and you've got an easy meal! It wasn't too expensive, either. I got a larger than usual pork butt (it was the smallest the store had (4 pounds), so we will get two meals out of it. it would take at least a 2.5 pound one to feed our family of four. The pork was about $10 and everything else totalled about $6. So it still came out as a pretty cheap meal-especially when you consider the leftovers. Grace said she can't wait to put the meat in a tortilla and eat it as a wrap! Even though I liked it, when we go out to eat BBQ, I don't know that I could get myself to order pork instead of beef!


Jane and Jodie's Pulled Pork

1 pork butt (at least 2.5 pounds)
1 large jar BBQ sauce (I used the kind with chipolte in it)
1/2 20 ounce bottle Coke (Jodie uses a whole bottle)

Throw in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours or until pork tests done. When you lift the meat out of the pot, it will literally shred, so be careful and be ready!

Enjoy!

Beef tips (sort of ) over noodles

It has been beautiful weather here! Sort of overcast but highs in the low 70's.....I cleaned out my closet and did chores around the house yesterday then cooked for lunch today. With both girls not wanting to play soccer this season, looks like more easy Saturdays may be in my future once we get finished with JoGail's basketball season! I can't wait!!!!  Looks like her tournament is the weekend of March 5, so bring on the spring! Maybe we will be able to get some day trips in as a family, too! We've been wanting to do that more.

I need advice.....we are looking into Florida and Disneyworld for our vacation. Where do I go to look for great discounts, etc? We've always said we wold take the girls when they were about this age, so that time is coming-either this summer or next. We just don't know where to start! Any websites, books, etc would be appreciated!

Making Laurie B' s beef patties in gravy got me to thinking.....why not try something like that with cheap round steak bites? I'm really not sure if I used cheap round steak or not, but it was a cheap package of meat labeled steak strips. Not much fat. I browned that.Started cooking the noodles. Put the rolls in the oven. Added my soups, then let that simmer while everything finished. It was delicious and brought back memories of my mom cooking. (Yes I had to taste the gravy with a piece of white bread!) It was truly remarkable for me because I have such difficulty making gravy.....I couldn't find the beefy mushroom soup, but I improvised. I will definitely stock up on the beefy mushroom soup when I go to Wal mart, since that's about the only place I can find it around here! :(


Beef tips over noodles

1 package of egg noodles-cook while making beef tips
1 package cheap cut of meat (about a pound and a half ) I used steak strips
2 cans french onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup with garlic
1 teaspoon oil
1 small can mushrooms-my girls love mushrooms

Put oil in skillet and turn stove on high. Cut meat into bite size pieces and put into the pan. Sear on both sides, turn heat down. Add soups and stir well. Let simmer while noodles cook. Serve over noodles and with bread and a vegetable.  I bet this would also be great over rice, too!

The whole meal for my family of four cost around ten dollars and we were all satisfied and full. Oh I forgot...we had butter cake with chocolate icing for dessert! Just a plain old 13x9 cake!


~Laurie

Laurie's B's hamburger patties and gravy

Wow! It's been a long day.....L-O-N-G day! We started with an early basketball game in Teague-I tried to work on work stuff in the truck on the way.....I finally gave up I swear Coy was trying to hit every pothole he could just to see me grab all the papers! Then we came home, watched a movie (I finished up some reports) then went to JoGail's game in Scurry Rosser and ate at KFC /Taco Bell. That chicken was soo good. I was ready for some good fried chicken!!!!

Here's recipe I tried this week and and WILL definitely be making again. Laurie B gave me the recipe and I think she got it from her mother. It's really good, especially served over mashed potatoes. I mean really really good! I will definitely be stocking my pantry with Campbell's Beefy Mushroom Soup!

6 hamburger patties-either premade or homemade, which ever you prefer
2 cans Campbell's Beefy Mushroom soup
1 onion cut into rings
Either fresh or drained canned mushrooms (my addition for my mushroom loving family)

Fry your patties in a skillet. Don't cook all the way through. (They'll cook some more later)
Drain your patties on plate. Wipe your skillet out with a paper towel. Get most of the junk out.
Fry your onions in the remaining junk. Put the patties back in the skillet. Cook over med low. Add mushrooms and the 2 cans of soup. Note: Do not add water to this or the gravy will be watery.Cook until patties are cooked through and everything is hot!!! Awesome over mashed potatoes and probably just as awesome over cooked noodles!!!!

Thank you Laurie B! And if you have never checked out her website, it's amazing what that lady can paint!!!  Check out her website Laurie Cole Designs .   What's really cool about Laurie is not only do we have the same first name spelled the same way, but her mother's (I think) maiden name was Cole which was my maiden name! She use to work at the administration office in Eustace until she started full time. She's an awesome person and a truly talented artist!




Enjoy, Laurie

Taco soup

AAAhhhhhhh  Taco Soup!!! I took several recipes and created my own. Well, it may be someone else's but if it is, I don' t know it! I'm glad I made a big ol' pot last night. We go a snow day today, so we had it for lunch with cornbread. It really hit the spot! There's maybe enough for 1 person to have leftovers for supper, so I would say it was a hit!

Taco Soup

1 can chili beans, drained
1 large can pinto beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can green chilis, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can rotel
1 package ground turkey meat
1 small can tomato paste
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning
4 cups water

Brown ground turkey in bottom of soup pot. While doing this, drain the first 5 ingredients in a strainer. I have a large one, so I just throw them in all in at the same time. After meat is browned, add first 5 ingredients. Add rotel and green chilis. Add seasoning packets-and stir well. Then add the tomato paste and water. Let simmer to heated through. As with most soups, it is significantly better the next day! It is great topped with some shredded cheese. Coy loves it with cornbread baked in his Grandma's pan.

I'm not sure what we're having for supper as this was supposed to be supper, so we'll have to see!

Laurie